Shorthanded KC Current undone by own-goal in Saturday night road loss to Angel City FC

The Kansas City Current allowed just one goal, but that was enough.

The Current are still searching for their first league win of the 2022 regular season after losing 1-0 to Angel City FC in Los Angeles Saturday night.

The Current played without Lo’eau LaBonta, Hailie Mace, Izzy Rodriguez and Chardonnay Curran — all missed the game due to COVID-19 concerns, in accordance with the National Women’s Soccer League’s health and safety protocols.

Also absent was Current head coach Matt Potter, who had tested positive for the coronavirus earlier in the week.

Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, the Current made it an even game, for the most part. But a bad bounce off the foot of KC’s Taylor Leach cost them the match.

Angel City’s Christen Press made it happen as she drove to the end line. Leach’s touch on a pass by Press was uncontrollable, and the ball bounced into the net for an own-goal in the 70th minute.

“It feels like we just lost ten to nil, to be honest,” said KC goalkeepers coach Lloyd Yaxley, who filled in for Potter as head coach for the match. “It was a scrappy goal that we conceded.”

Yaxley said he was proud of the players’ response to adversity this week.

“I felt like everyone that was a part of the organization this week gave their all for the cause,” he said.

Jada Talley, signed on Saturday as a COVID-19 replacement player, subbed in late for Alex Loera as the Current sought an equalizing goal in the final 10 minutes.

Captain Desiree Scott was proud of her teammates’ mindset, even amid circumstances that seemed to be lined up against them this week.

“This is an amazing atmosphere to come into,” Scott said of Angel City’s home stadium. “To miss some of our key players, I think it’s a testament to use our full bench the belief that we have in each other, in our squad, and in our game plan to go and commit to that and then do it on a 90-minute performance.”

With the loss, the Current fell to 0-1-3 in the NWSL standings, next taking on the OL Reign in Seattle on Wednesday. That game is scheduled for a kickoff of 9 p.m. Central Time.