**Houston, Texas** – The Kansas City Current advanced to the NWSL Semifinals with an astounding late goal to lead to a 2-1 win against the Houston Dash at PNC Stadium in Houston on Sunday night. The Current took the lead after five minutes before Houston equalized later in the first half, but a goal in the tenth minute of added time by Kansas City midfielder Kate Del Fava ultimately sealed the win for the visitors.
First half action picked up quickly with the Current awarded a penalty kick after just three minutes, when Houston defender Katie Naughton was judged to have fouled Kansas City forward Kristen Hamilton inside the box after making contact with Hamilton from behind to send her to the floor. After a couple minutes of deliberation, up stepped Current midfielder and penalty specialist Lo’eau LaBonta in the fifth minute, who sent Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell the wrong way with a well-struck spot kick to her right.
However, just 16 minutes later, Houston would earn their equalizer as the Dash capitalized off a set-piece opportunity that eventually saw midfielder Sophie Schmidt lash the ball into the back of the net from close range. Earning a corner in the 21 ^st minute via Current midfielder Hailie Mace, Houston’s corner curled into toward the center of the six-yard box where Kansas City goalkeeper Adrianna Franch got a glove on the ball in to send it to the back post and away. Waiting just outside the six-yard box, though, was midfielder Sophie Schmidt, and Schmidt drove a low lined effort through a pair of players and past Franch at her near post to bring the contest level once again.
Taking the moment forward, Houston attacker Ebony Salmon then narrowly missed on a chance two minutes later that would have lifted the hosts in front. A back-and-forth rest of the half saw both sides create at least one more quality opportunity in front of goal, though neither would break the deadlock through the time remaining. Houston were the more likely of the two sides to score, but a skillful chance created by attacker María Sánchez in the 43 ^rd minute saw her shot blocked by a Kansas City defender.
The second half brought more of the same as the two clubs were methodical in attempting to pick the other apart. Sánchez tested Franch again in the 53 ^rd minute with an effort from distance, but the netminder was there to repel the chance and the Current’s defense saw it clear. Two minutes later, Sánchez hit the post with a left-footed effort from outside the box after a ball from Salmon. Then, three minutes following that, Houston came close once more with defender Katie Naughton getting on the end of Sánchez’s corner and whipping a powerful header to the far post that landed narrowly wide of goal. In the same minute of play, Salmon then had a shot from just outside the penalty area pushed over the bar by Franch as it seemed sure the hosts would build on their momentum.
However, Kansas City was not completely without chances of their own and demonstrated as much with forward Elyse Bennett testing Campbell in the 66 ^th minute. Bennett was inside the box when she received LaBonta’s through ball on the left side. Taking a step forward, Bennett then fired low toward the near post to force Campbell into the save, and the goalkeeper also did well to claim the follow up cross and kill the chance.
Determined to win this in regulation though, the two sides traded chances in a wild sequence in the fourth minute of added time. First, Kansas City’s attack saw a ball played in from the left side by Bennett toward an onrushing CeCe Kizer near the goalline. However, Kizer was unable to stretch out enough to meet the pass and the chance went rolling through. On the very next move forward, Houston then created an incredible opportunity for attacker Michelle Alozie as a ball in behind the Current defense saw Alozie shrug off a defender and put herself in a 1-on-1 with the goalkeeper Franch. However, approaching goal, Alozie rocketed an effort toward the far post that Franch got square in front of and play continued.
Into the tenth minute of added time, one last move forward for Kansas City resulted in a scrappy match-winning goal put home by midfielder Kate Del Fava to steal the show late. After recovering the ball in midfield on the left side, midfielder Alexis Loera played a one-two pass with LaBonta that resulted in her receiving the return ball just inside the left edge of the box. Loera then knocked a ball across goal that snuck through Houston’s backline and resulted in Del Fava lifting a leg and bumbling the delivery into the back of the net for a stunning finish.
From here, the Kansas City Current advance to face OL Reign in Seattle next Sunday, October 23 at 7:30 P.M. ET on CBS Sports Network.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights