Angel City lost 0–1 on the road to top-ranked Kansas City Current tonight following a goal by forward Bia Zaneratto.
Angel City held the Current scoreless during the first half, allowing just two shots on goal, an impressive feat against the best offense in the league.
The hosts had an early chance in the fifth minute when forward Michelle Cooper dribbled into the box from the right and sent a cross to defender Izzy Rodriguez, who sent her shot well high.
Their next attempt came in the 25th minute, when Rodriguez served a long free kick into the box. Defender Kayla Sharples got her head on the ball, but couldn’t get enough power behind it to threaten goalkeeper Angelina Anderson, who dove to save it.
In the 31st minute, forward Temwa Chawinga had a look, first serving a lateral ball in to forward Bia Zaneratto, which defender Megan Reid poked out from under her feet. The ball fell back to Chawinga, but her shot was wide.
Goalkeeper Angelina Anderson had a big save in the 41st minute, diving to stop a shot from distance by midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo.
Both teams’ offense picked up in the second half, with Angel City putting a shot on target in the 52nd minute. Forward Riley Tiernan tapped a short pass to forward Alyssa Thompson a few yards outside the 18; Thompson made a cut to shake her defender and unleashed a long-range left-footed shot, but goalkeeper Lorena saved.
The visitors had their best chance of the game, a penalty kick, in the 57th minute. Thompson—who also won the penalty when she drew a foul by Current defender Elizabeth Ball—stepped up to the spot and sent her shot left, but Lorena guessed correctly and dove to make the save.
In the 69th minute, Kansas City scored the only goal of the game. Chawinga got loose in the final third and had a one-v-one shot against Anderson, which the goalkeeper stopped but was unable to catch. Bia made a late run into the box and pounced on the second ball, taking a powerful driven shot that landed in the back of the net to bring the score to 1–0.
Chawinga had another shot in the 72nd minute, which Anderson also saved. The forward forced a turnover deep in Angel City’s half, drove into the box, and took an angled shot from close range, but Anderson dove to the ground to smother it.
The Angel City keeper denied Chawinga a third time in the 90th minute; Chawinga again forced a turnover, this time dribbling toward the penalty spot and shooting, with Anderson then jumping to tip her shot over the bar.
Angel City had their final chance of the game in the 98th minute, when midfielder Macey Hodge sent a line-breaking forward pass to midfielder Katie Zelem at the penalty arc. Zelem turned and uncorked a left-footed shot, which Lorena dove to block out for a corner kick.
Despite the result, this game was the first time in 2025 the first-place Current scored fewer than two goals at home.
The NWSL begins a six-week-long break after this weekend. Angel City’s next regular-season game will be August 1 away in Seattle. They will host the USL Super League Carolina Ascent for a friendly on Saturday, July 26 at 5:00 p.m. Tickets are available here.
