Kansas City star Temwa Chawinga set the NWSL record for goals in a season with her 19th, leading the Current to a 1-0 victory over Bay FC on Saturday night in San Jose, Calif.
Chawinga surpassed Sam Kerr, who scored 18 for the Chicago Red Stars in 2019.
Chawinga set the mark in the 35th minute when she had the ball just outside the box and ripped a right-footed laser past Katelyn Rowland and into the left corner of the net.
“It means a lot to me because I work hard to score goals,” Chawinga said of the record in a postgame interview on ION. “The whole team, we have good players and they are working so hard. I’m very happy to be with them because they help me a whole lot. I’m happy to be (with Kansas City).”
Chawinga has a six-goal edge over Orlando’s Barbra Banda in the race for the Golden Boot. The 26-year-old is in her first season with Kansas City after starring in the Chinese Women’s Super League the previous four seasons.
Almuth Schult made two saves while recording her fifth shutout of the season for the Current (14-3-7, 49 points). Kansas City moved into third place in the standings, one point behind NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Rowland made three saves for Bay FC (9-14-1, 28), who are in eighth place.
NJ/NY Gotham FC 2, Red Stars 0
Lynn Williams scored from the penalty spot in the 87th minute and Esther Gonzalez added a goal in stoppage time as NJ/NY Gotham FC beat host the Red Stars in Bridgeview, Ill.
Gotham FC (15-4-5, 50 points) earned the opportunity from the spot after Ella Stevens was taken down from behind by the Red Stars’ Cari Rocarro in the penalty area.
Ann-Katrin Berger made one save for Gotham FC, which clinched a top-four spot in the playoffs with the victory and a guaranteed home game in the postseason. It was Berger’s eighth shutout to tie a franchise record.
Gotham FC, who already qualified for a playoff spot, moved into second place in the overall standings.
The loss denied the Red Stars (10-12-2, 32 points) a playoff berth, but they can still make their way into the postseason field of eight if Racing Louisville FC loses to the Washington Spirit on Sunday.
Angel City FC 1, Courage 1
Angel City’s Christen Press scored her first NWSL goal in 28 months during second-half stoppage time, but Olivia Wingate of the North Carolina Courage answered three minutes later as the teams played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday night in Cary, N.C.
Press missed more than two years due to an ACL injury that required four surgeries. She injured her right knee in the second half on June 11, 2022, against Racing Louisville. She scored a goal in the 36th minute of that match.
On Saturday, the two-time United States World Cup champion drilled a left-footed shot to the left of North Carolina goalkeeper Casey Murphy in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time to give Angel City a 1-0 lead.
But moments later, the Courage won a scramble for the ball in the midfield and Denise O’Sullivan drilled a sharp pass upfield to Wingate. Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic came out in an attempt to cut off the angle, but Wingate easily drilled a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net. It was Wingate’s second goal of the season.
The Courage (12-9-3, 39 points) reside in fifth place. Angel City (7-12-5) is in 10th place with 23 points, having recently been docked three points for a salary cap infraction.
–Field Level Media
