Paige Metayer, Leicy Santos help Spirit coast past Current

Field Level Media|published: Sun 25th August, 14:27 2024

Aug 25, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman (2) controls the ball against Kansas City Current defender Ellie Wheeler (5) during the first half at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Paige Metayer and Leicy Santos each tallied a goal and an assist for the host Washington Spirit in their 4-1 rout of the Kansas City Current on Sunday.

Santos shone in her NWSL regular-season debut after the Spirit (12-4-1, 37 points) officially acquired her from Atletico Madrid. Ouleymata Sarr and Trinity Rodman also scored for Washington in a battle between second and third place in the league standings.

Temwa Chawinga scored her league-leading 13th goal of the season in a losing effort for the Current (10-2-5, 35 points). She matched an NWSL record by scoring in her sixth straight match.

Aubrey Kingsbury made three saves for the Spirit. Adrianna Franch stopped just one shot for the Current.

Metayer needed little time to put the Spirit on the board first. She received a pass from Santos on the right wing, crossed midfield and ran toward the center of the attacking area. Metayer looked off a potential pass before taking her own left-footed shot to the near corner, where it rolled under Franch's diving grasp.

Sarr doubled the lead less than six minutes later. Croix Bethune tapped a pass to the top of the penalty area for Sarr, where she shot it to the bottom-left corner past the Kansas City defense for her eighth tally of the season.

That marked Bethune's 10th assist of the year, tying the NWSL single-season record. Bethune has nine more matches to break the record.

In the 51st, Rodman joined in on the action when her left-footed shot from the right wing glanced off Kansas City defender Ellie Wheeler's shin and landed in the far end of the net. Metayer had the assist.

Chawinga cut the Current's deficit to 3-1 in the 64th after she received Debinha's centering pass and cut through three defenders to poke her shot over the line.

The Spirit piled on thanks to a free kick deep in Kansas City territory. After the initial kick was headed away, Gabrielle Carle collected it for Washington and crossed it in to Santos, setting up an easy goal.

--Field Level Media

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