Michelle Cooper scored the fastest goal in league history for the Kansas City Current, but the Washington Spirit came from two goals down to win 3-2 on the road in the National Women’s Soccer League on Sunday.
Cooper scored just 22 seconds into the match. Debinha’s cross was deflected to her in the box, giving the rookie time to take a touch and score her first NWSL goal.
Debinha doubled the lead in the 23rd minute, sliding a penalty kick into the lower left corner after the Spirit were called for a handball in the box.
The Spirit (6-1-5) responded with three unanswered goals to earn the win at Children’s Mercy Park stadium. Ashley Sanchez pulled one back in the 37th, winning a clearance and bending a shot from the top of the box into the right corner.
Rookie Paige Metayer leveled the score in the 82nd minute, heading in a corner kick.
The game-winner came in the 88th minute. Tara McKeown, who was converted from forward to center back this year, ran onto Dorian Bailey’s cross into the box and scored with her first touch from close range.
Kansas City (3-9-0) had eight shots on target, but goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury made six saves to keep the Spirit in the match.
LOUISVILLE 2, GOTHAM 0
Savannah DeMelo scored her fifth goal of the season as Racing Louisville shutout Gotham at Lynn Family Stadium in Kentucky. Thembi Kgatlana scored the second goal, her first for Louisville.
In the 23rd minute, a rebound fell to DeMelo, but her shot was blocked and she fell to the ground. The ball then bounced around and came right back to the Louisville midfielder, who got back to her feet just in time and snuck a shot into the right corner.
DeMelo has been involved in eight goals ( six goals, two assists ) in all NWSL competitions since the beginning of May, two more than any other player in the league during this time.
At the start of the second half, Kgatlana sprinted forward to get open for a pass from Kirsten Davis in the box. Her shot was partially blocked by goalkeeper Abby Smith, but the momentum pushed it into the goal.
Kelley O’Hara had a header go off the post for Gotham in the 60th minute, and Racing Louisville (3-3-6) goalkeeper Katie Lund made seven saves to earn a shutout.
Gotham (5-4-3) midfielder McCall Zerboni became the second player to appear in 200 matches. OL Reign defender Lauren Barnes hit the milestone a week earlier.
THORNS 3, RED STARS 2
The Chicago Red Stars tried to spark a comeback with late goals from Ella Stevens and Allison Schlegel, but the Portland Thorns held on for the win at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois.
Portland had 17 shots at halftime but were held scoreless until the 43rd minute. That’s when Sophia Smith spun around her defender and dribbled to the top of the box, shooting into the left corner for her third straight goal and seventh this season.
The Thorns doubled the lead in the 63rd minute. Morgan Weaver took a touch toward the end line and cut it back for Hina Sugita, who slid and poked the ball into the goal.
Immediately after, Thorns goalkeeper Bella Bixby crashed into Arin Wright in the box. After Wright was stretchered off with her knee wrapped, Stevens buried the penalty to make it 2-1.
Christine Sinclair gave the Thorns a cushion just three minutes later, bringing down Crystal Dunn’s cross and calmly sliding her shot into the right corner, but rookie Schlegel responded again for Chicago, heading in a corner kick in the 82nd.
Chicago (3-8-1) continued to push for an equalizer, including a Bianca St. Georges shot that bounced off the post, but the match would end 3-2.
Portland (6-2-4) has now scored in 19 straight road matches.
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