KC Current beats North Carolina 4-3 in exciting back and forth goal fest

The Kansas City Current headed to North Carolina looking to keep their unbeaten streak alive against a team that has struggled at home. Both teams came out strong, making runs up and down the field with the game going back and forth until the 79th minute when the Current scored the game winner.

It was expected to be an aggressive match, but few probably would have predicted a 4-3 goal fest with seven different scorers.

The Courage struck first in the 17th minute when Debinha and Kerolin combined down Kansas City’s right side. Kerolin crossed into the Current box where Diana Ordoñez and Debinha both had opportunities before the ball finally crossed the line.

The North Carolina lead was short-lived. Another scramble in the box that resulted in a goal but this time it was Kansas City’s Kristen Hamilton that scored to level it at 1-1 in the 20th.

North Carolina’s Brazilian connection paid off again in the 36th when Debinha and Kerolin combined again. The initial pass had Debinha offside but the veteran let the ball run on to Kerolin. The 22-year-old attacker played the ball back across the where Debinha easily scored.

Lo’eau LaBonta took advantage of rebound that came to the Kansas City veteran near the penalty spot. LaBonta lasered the shot through traffic to again level the score. The two teams went into the half 2-2.

The two teams picked up where they left off at the half with back-and-forth action. They kept up the pattern of North Carolina taking the lead also. In the 56th minute Brianna Pinto took the restart and looped the ball into Kaleigh Kurtz. The resulting header glanced off the underside of the crossbar to put the home side on top again.

Keeping up the pattern, Kansas City scored again to even the score in the 60th. This time Cece Kizer scored when LaBonta crossed into the box, just eluding a tap-in by Claire Lavogez but Kizer was there to put it in the back of the net.

Lavogez may not have scored earlier but she was absolutely not going to be denied in the 79th minute. Lavogez picked up the ball from Elizabeht Ball in the center circle. The French international midfielder is not afraid to take a shot, releasing a stunner from 25-yards out.

With the 4-3 lead, Kansas City held off a flurry from North Carolina to extend their unbeaten streak to ten games.