Debinha scored her first goal of the season to give the Kansas City Current a 1-0 victory over the visiting North Carolina Courage on Sunday in the National Women’s Soccer League.
The Current are one one just two undefeated teams in the NWSL after nine games, joining the Orlando Pride. Kansas City has scored 22 goals, more than any other team.
Debinha, who was recovering from a hamstring injury, made her first start since the team’s season opener and scored in the 52nd minute.
The Current (6-0-3) earned the win at home after a three-game road trip that they finished with a win and two draws. It was their second straight shutout.
“The coach in me says we can always get better,” Current coach Vlatko Andonovski said.
The Courage (4-5-0) have lost three straight.
WAVE 1, GOTHAM 1
Hannah Lundkvist scored in the 64th minute to pull the host San Diego Wave into a 1-1 draw with Gotham FC.
Savannah McCaskill sent the ball into the box and Lundkvist scored on a header. The Wave (3-3-2) have not lost at home for four straight matches.
Ella Stevens scored in the 25th minute for Gotham (3-2-3), the NWSL defending champions, who remained undefeated in four matches.
Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan finished with six saves, as did Gotham goalkeeper Ann Katrin-Berger.
The Wave remained without Alex Morgan (lower leg), Naomi Girma (thigh) and Abby Dahlkemper (thigh), who are all U.S. national team hopefuls for the Olympics this summer.
RED STARS 3, ROYALS 1
Mallory Swanson converted a penalty kick in the first half and the host Chicago Red Stars beat the Utah Royals 3-1.
The Red Stars (5-3-1) have won three of their last five.
The expansion Royals (1-6-1), playing the first of three straight on the road, sit at the bottom of the standings. Their only win this season came against the North Carolina Courage on March 22.
Jenna Bike scored her first NWSL goal on a header off a well-placed cross from Swanson in the 23rd minute.
Swanson scored on the penalty kick in the 29th minute after Bike was brought down in the boy by Lauren Flynn. It was the seventh penalty that Utah has conceded in seven games.
Cameron Tucker’s goal in the 81st minute helped the Royals avoid the shutout, but Chicago’s Penelope Hocking added a final goal in stoppage time for the final margin.
DASH 1, ANGEL CITY 0
Paige Nielsen scored in the final seconds of stoppage time and the Houston Dash snapped a five-game winless streak with a 1-0 victory over Angel City in Los Angeles.
It was just the second win of the season for the Dash (2-4-3). Nielsen was traded to Houston from Angel City last month.
Angel City ( 3-4-1) had won three of their previous four matches.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
