NWSL Round-Up: Gotham FC Overturn Early Deficit Against Current
Amelia White’s lightning-fast opener for Kansas City was countered by second-half goals, while Utah Royals and Seattle Reign also recorded wins across the league.
Gotham FC secured a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Current in a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) fixture on Friday night, overturning an early deficit to extend their unbeaten run to eight games. The result, delivered at Sports Illustrated Stadium, underscores Gotham’s resilience after conceding a record-breaking opening goal.
The Current took a rapid lead through Amelia White, who scored just 22 seconds into the match. The goal, assisted by Croix Bethune, ended Gotham’s 307-minute shutout streak across their previous three matches and tied an NWSL record for the fastest goal. Gotham responded with determination, with Midge Purce equalising in the 13th minute before Sam Kerr scored in the 41st minute to put Gotham ahead at half-time.
Kansas City’s hopes of a comeback were hampered by disciplinary issues, as defender Elizabeth Ball was initially shown a red card for a foul on Gotham forward Jordynn Dudley in the 27th minute. However, following a video review, the decision was downgraded to a yellow card. The match also marked the first start for Kansas City’s Vanessa DiBernardo since her return from maternity leave.
In other NWSL action, the San Diego Wave and the Denver Summit played to a 1-1 draw. Melanie Barcenas opened the scoring for the Wave in the 35th minute, but Yazmeen Ryan headed in an equaliser for the Summit in the 58th minute. The match saw Summit defender Eva Gaetino subbed off due to injury in the first half.
The Utah Royals defeated Bay FC 3-2, featuring a historic moment as Miyabi Moriya, Narumi Miura, and Mina Tanaka became the first three Japanese players to score in the same match for the club. Despite Karlie Lema giving Bay FC an early lead, Utah responded through Moriya and Miura, with Tanaka sealing the win with a penalty in the 79th minute.
Seattle Reign also recorded a victory, beating the Chicago Stars 1-0. Maddie Mercado scored the decisive goal from a rebound in the 53rd minute, supported by goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, who made two saves to secure her fifth clean sheet of the season. The result came amid a coaching change for Chicago, with Karina Báez making her debut as interim coach following the departure of Marin Sjögren and Anders Jacobson.
