US-based Malawian female football star Temwa Chawinga’s outfit Kansas City (KC) Current’s 17-match unbeaten run in the National Women’s Soccer League came to a heartbreaking end yesterday.
KC Current saw their rosy world crumble following a 2-1 defeat to Orlando Pride, which saw them drop to second position with 35 points from 16 matches, three points behind Orlando.
Orlando are now the only unbeaten side in the 14-team US women’s top-flight.
The consolation for the Scorchers’ forward though was that she netted the consolation goal to remain joint leading scorer with Zambian Barbra Banda, who drew first blood for Orlando.
They are now tied on 12 goals apiece.
In a match monitored on KC Current TV, Temwa cancelled Banda’s 37th minute strike two minutes later before Brazilian Marta Viera da Silva scored the winner for Orlando in the 63rd minute through a penalty.
In an interview yesterday, Temwa, who was the 2023 world’s overall top scorer, described the loss as painful.
“There isn’t much I can say. It hurts, but we will get back to our feet. It was a match that could have gone either way, but I guess they had an ounce of luck,” she said.
KC Current manager Vlatko Andonovski was also quoted as having said his team will bounce back from the loss.
He said: “One thing we can’t do is let the emotions get the best of us.
“We know that we are a good team and we will be back. We will learn from this and get better.”
