Kansas Metropolis Present ahead Temwa Chawinga continued her exceptional debut season within the Nationwide Ladies’s Soccer League Saturday evening when she scored her nineteenth purpose of the season — breaking Sam Kerr‘s single-season NWSL scoring document of 18 objectives set in 2019 — and what ended up being the game-winning tally.

Chawinga scored 35 minutes right into a tightly contested matchup towards enlargement facet Bay FC when she dispossessed the opposition’s midfielder, rode off the bodily problem and blasted a rocket into the again of the online from outdoors the field.

After Chawinga tallied her nineteenth purpose of the season, Lo’eau LaBonta saved her celebration custom alive by making an attempt to rely all of her teammate’s objectives on her fingers, shortly working out of digits. The group’s love for his or her main goalscorer confirmed as they celebrated the rating and after the ultimate whistle.

“I feel the group, the group that’s round her [were] quite a bit happier than her once we had been within the huddle,” Andonovski stated. “After we had been within the huddle it appeared like Lo’eau [LaBonta] and Vanessa [DiBernardo] and Kayla [Sharples] had been extra excited and happier in regards to the document than Temwa herself.”

This love doesn’t go unnoticed by Chawinga who known as out gamers like LaBonta and Vanessa DiBernardo serving to her in coaching and the group as a complete for welcoming her.

“To me it’s so particular to be on this group as a result of I meet numerous gamers on this group who deal with me effectively… and the workers. So I’m very completely happy to be right here to work with them,” Chawinga advised media after the win. “That’s why I work laborious every recreation with gamers that deal with me effectively.”

Oct 12, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Kansas Metropolis Present ahead Temwa Chawinga (6) celebrates with teammates after the sport towards Bay FC at PayPal Park. Necessary Credit score: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Photos

Head coach Vlatko Andnovski was somewhat extra sensible about his pleasure, noting the acutely aware effort Chawinga put into creating that shot.

“One factor that made me completely happy is, we all know that groups now try to shut down … the realm the place she will get most of her probabilities. So we spent somewhat little bit of time engaged on getting photographs from distance … and she or he ran out and hit a bomb,” Andonovski stated.

Whereas the previous U.S. ladies’s nationwide group coach had initially hoped Chawinga would rating 10-12 objectives for his group she has continued to indicate simply how a lot she is able to and the way particular she is.

“She’s not happy with scoring one and lacking [an] alternative, she desires to get higher and be sure that the subsequent time she will get that chance she capitalizes on it,” Andonovski stated. “She’s very unpredictable. We’ve seen her rating … several types of objectives and that makes her very particular.

“One last item that I feel Temwa has is she’s a complete footballer. If you have a look at her she’s not simply run, get the ball and rating purpose. She’ll help on a purpose. She begins the assaults for us. She’ll deliver the group into the assault. She defends amazingly. She’s an outstanding defender and all collectively, I imply, only a nice participant.”

Kerr held the earlier document since 2019 when she scored 18 objectives in 21 matches performed for the Chicago Crimson Stars in a 24-game season. Chawinga scored her 19 in a comparable 24-game span however performed all 24 — and has two extra left to presumably prolong her document even additional.

The Malawian ahead now seems to be untouchable within the NWSL Golden Boot race as she is six objectives forward of the subsequent main scorer, Barbra Banda, with 13. However the record-breaking attacker is extra involved along with her group successful than breaking data or accruing particular person accolades.

“I used to be very completely happy to assist my group,” Chawinga stated of her historic purpose.

“I don’t suppose she has checked out it as one thing that she desires to achieve,” Andonovski stated. “Clearly, all people desires to attain many objectives, however for her, I feel a very powerful factor is that these objectives are bringing factors, and that’s what she’s completely happy for.”