COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Esther González converted a penalty in the first half and Jordynn Dudley added a late goal to give Gotham FC a 2-0 victory over the Kansas City Current in the Challenge Cup on Friday night.
Gotham qualified for the match as last season's National Women's Soccer League champions, while the Current were the 2025 Shield winners for the best regular season record.
The match was played at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, and was the first professional women's soccer game played in the state of Ohio.
The city of Columbus was awarded an NWSL franchise in April that will begin play in 2028 and bring the league to 18 teams. The team is is owned by the Haslam Sports Group, which also owns the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.
Gonzalez's penalty kick came in the 37th after Kansas City's Lo'eau LaBonta took down Jaelin Howell in the box. Dudley sealed it with a low shot to the far corner that Current goalkeeper Marisa Jordan couldn't reach.
The match was scheduled during the NWSL's summer break for the men's World Cup. The league resumes the regular season July 3.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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