Rose Lavelle's long-awaited return to the pitch gave Gotham FC a late spark, but it wasn't enough to make a comeback as the Kansas City Current escaped Sports Illustrated Stadium with a 2-1 win Saturday afternoon.
Current forwards Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper proved to be an unstoppable duo with two goals and two assists each within the first 11 minutes. VAR confusion and a few fouls contributed to the close calls for Gotham, with goals from both Emily Sonnett and Esther González disallowed in the second half.
It was a hard defeat for the team as they celebrated their Concacaf W Champions Cup victory with a trophy presentation before the start of the match. The club continues to falter at the NWSL level as they drop points and sit in 9th Place in the league table following the loss.
Gotham FC: 11 shots, 2 shots on target, 62% possession, 428 passes, 72% pass accuracy, 12 fouls, 11 corners, 3 saves
Kansas City Current: 8 shots, 5 shots on target, 38% possession, 268 passes, 80% pass accuracy, 8 fouls, 2 corners, 2 saves
Goals:
• Kansas City Current, Michelle Cooper, 3'
• Kansas City Current, Temwa Chawinga, 11'
• Kansas City Current, Vanessa DiBernardo, 90+11' (OG)
Attendance: 10,399
Close calls, VAR confusion
It was a chaotic matchup that led Gotham to fall short against the Current today.
Once again, missed chances and overhit strikes were the team's downfall, although confusion in the 63rd minute could have proved the turning point. González knocked a shot into the back of the net off a header from a Current defender. However, the Current continued play before a referee called time to pause play and review the goal.
Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós disagreed with the lack of discipline, calling the decision "not clear."
"They need to really look into it because that goes completely against the rules of the game," he said following the match. "Once the play is restarted, and then also the position where they flagged, then the time that it took them to flag—I think that specific play was one of them that they really need to look into."
It was later determined that Ellie Wheeler, the Current defender who continued play, did not intentionally play the ball in against the rules. The goal was ultimately determined to be offside.
Emily Sonnett had the next best chance after González, attempting a header off a pass from Ella Stevens in the 15th minute that went wide.
Power duo Temwa Chawinga, Michelle Cooper
The Cooper & Chawinga Show 📺 Goal #1: Goal by Michelle Cooper assisted by Temwa Chawinga Goal #2: Goal by Temwa Chawinga assisted by Michelle Cooper
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-06-07T17:41:37.099Z
Chawinga and Cooper proved to be Gotham's downfall 11 minutes into the match, with each assisting the other to score a goal. Both forwards bypassed Gotham's backline early on, with Chawinga intercepting a pass from Sonnett in the third minute to pass to Cooper for a decisive goal.
The second came eight minutes later when a long run up the field allowed Cooper to drive hard up the right before slotting the ball past Sonnett and Lilly Reale, drawing Gotham keeper Ann-Katrin Berger out and giving Chawinga the opportunity to score.
"We made two mistakes, and they took full advantage, especially in the first 10 minutes when we entered the match poorly," González said. "But we knew how to recover, and we kept believing we could tie and win. I think that’s the mentality—fighting until the end. And that’s what we did—fight until the end."
Rose is back
Roses are red, Gotham is Blue, We’re so excited Rose is back, and we know you are too!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-06-07T18:47:07.430Z
Lavelle made a much-awaited return to the pitch six months after undergoing ankle surgery after a December game with the USWNT. This was her first NWSL appearance since November 16, 2024.
It was clear the Gotham midfielder was gearing up for play around the 31st minute when she made her way off the bench to start warmups. She officially came on at the 74th minute much to the approval of the crowd.
Lavelle wasted no time in taking possession, attempting a shot that went just wide within minutes of her 2025 debut. Her presence in the box pressured Current midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo into an own goal 11 minutes into stoppage time, but it was too late to spur Gotham into a stoppage-time win.
"It was a long recovery, long rehab process, and it’s definitely still a journey," Lavelle said. "I feel like it might be a little bit till I’m feeling 100%, but really happy to be back out with the team. Obviously, the game didn’t go the way we would have liked, but I feel like it was a good, positive step for me.”
Kansas City, now undefeated in four straight, remain atop the NWSL standings with 27 points. Gotham, meanwhile, will aim to snap its four-game winless streak when the club travels west to face the Utah Royals on Friday. Kickoff is set for 9:30pm ET.
