KC Current scored in (almost) record time: ‘What a beautiful goal to start a game’

The first time the Kansas City Current played the Houston Dash this season, the two teams faced a more-than-three-hour lightning delay. But when the Dash visited CPKC Stadium for the NWSL x Liga MX Summer Cup Saturday night, the Current brought its own lightning strike.

It took all of 59 seconds for Kansas City to change its goal tally, as Temwa Chawinga broke free and crossed to a streaking Michelle Cooper. Cooper calmly volleyed off her right foot for the second-fastest goal in Current history, the first of three Kansas City goals in a 3-1 victory.

“What a beautiful goal to start a game,” said Current coach Vlatko Andonovski, “which was the best thing to happen for us, but at the same time that was the worst thing that happened to us.”

Andonovski said the goal actually served to deflate the Current a bit, with the Dash equalizing in the 20th minute when Houston’s Yuki Nagasato ripped a shot from outside the box, just past a diving AD Franch.

The teams traded chances from that point on, though none resulted in goals until a free kick in the 68th minute. Kristen Hamilton, who subbed on in the 64th minute, came up with a loose ball in the box and slid it to Lo’eau LaBonta.

Dash goalkeeper Erin McKinney got her hands on the shot, but couldn’t slow it enough to keep it from crossing the line for a goal and a 2-1 Current lead.

“I knew she was crashing the near post. I just saw red shirts running to the goal, so I didn’t necessarily know it was Lo,” Hamilton said, adding that she was just trying to keep the ball alive.

Hamilton added to the tally herself, netting an insurance goal in the 83rd minute by pouncing on a Dash back-pass, dribbling around McKinney and slotting it away. The goal marked Hamilton’s 40th in all competitions and gave her a goal and an assist on the night.

The Current drew with the Dash 1-1 in Houston on May 5, the game with the extensive lightning delay, then topped Houston 2-0 in the Dash’s return trip to Kansas City in June.

Kansas City won this one despite playing four fullbacks in defense because of an injury, and while utilizing more width than usual because of Houston’s compact defense.

Those fullbacks helped provide for the offense as well, from Alexa Spaanstra’s passing to Regan Steigleder using her head — Hamilton quipped that Steigleder deserved a hockey assist on the second goal after the ball bounced off her face to Hamilton before making its way to LaBonta.

“I’m very proud of the team that, I don’t know if I can say, as bad as we were we still found a way to win,” Andonovski said. “And that’s a characteristic of a good team.”

Kansas City hosts Pachuca in group play of the NWSL x Liga MX Summer Cup next Saturday. Pachuca lost its first game of the cup, falling 4-2 to Tigres.

The Current will return to NWSL play on Aug. 25 at the Washington Spirit. With 35 points — 10 wins, five draws and a loss — Kansas City is second in the NWSL standings.