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The National Women’s Soccer League returned to action on Friday night following its midseason international break, and the league’s top team immediately proved that the time off did nothing to cool them down. The big question entering the weekend was which clubs would be able to maintain their momentum. For the first-place Kansas City Current, it was business as usual, as they extended their incredible winning streak with a dominant road performance. Elsewhere, the last-place Chicago Stars showed new life, battling a tough playoff contender to a hard-fought draw. It was an intriguing night of results for fans and sports handicappers to analyze as the second half of the season officially kicked off.
Unstoppable: First-Place KC Current Win Seventh Straight Match
The Kansas City Current are in a class of their own right now. The NWSL leaders picked up right where they left off, winning their seventh consecutive match with a professional 2-0 victory over host Racing Louisville. The Current showed no signs of rust, controlling the match and securing the win with two second-half goals. The team’s seven-game winning streak has them firmly atop the NWSL standings and at the top of every power ranking leaderboard.
The breakthrough came in the 65th minute from their star forward, Temwa Chawinga. She made a brilliant run into the box to get on the end of a low cross from Michelle Cooper, smashing it home for her ninth goal of the season. Just seven minutes later, the Current sealed the victory with a special milestone goal. Defender Elizabeth Ball celebrated her 100th career match in style, heading in a free kick from Izzy Rodriguez to double the lead.
| Kansas City Current | 7-Game Winning Streak |
| Date | Opponent |
| Aug 1 | @ Racing Louisville |
| July 13 | vs. Bay FC |
| July 6 | @ Utah Royals |
| June 30 | vs. Houston Dash |
| June 23 | @ Portland Thorns |
| June 16 | vs. Chicago Stars |
| June 9 | vs. Seattle Reign |
Stars Battle Back to Salvage Hard-Fought Draw with Gotham FC
In a gritty performance, the last-place Chicago Stars earned a valuable point, battling back to secure a 1-1 draw with the visiting Gotham FC. Both goals in the contest came from impressive headers. Gotham took the lead in the 39th minute when Khyah Harper powerfully headed in a cross.
Chicago, however, did not back down. They found their equalizer in the 68th minute off a well-worked short corner. Julia Grosso sent a perfect ball into the box, and Ally Schlegel rose high to head it past the keeper, salvaging a draw for the home side. Gotham controlled much of the play, forcing Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher into action more often than her counterpart, but the Stars’ defense held firm. The Stars earning a draw as a heavy underdog is the kind of surprising result that is always a major talking point on sports picks sites.
| Goalkeeper Comparison | Saves | Goals Allowed |
| Alyssa Naeher (CHI) | 4 | 1 |
| A-K Berger (GTH) | 1 | 1 |
Looking Ahead
Friday’s results set the tone for the second half of the season. The Kansas City Current have solidified their status as the clear frontrunners for the NWSL Shield, and it will be up to the rest of the league to try and catch them. For the Chicago Stars, the hard-earned point is a positive step as they look to play the role of spoiler for the remainder of the year. As the NWSL playoff race heats up, the live odds and scores for each match will carry even more weight.
