HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 18: Kayla Sharples #27 of Kansas City Current controls the ball during the NWSL match between Houston Dash and Kansas City Current at Shell Energy Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Omar Vega/NWSL via Getty Images)

Houston Dash pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the NWSL season as they defeated runaway leaders the Kansas City Current 1-0.

Midfielder Ryan Gareis scored the only goal of the game in the 69th minute – her first in the NWSL – and despite a late flurry of attacks from the Current, their record-equalling 17-match unbeaten run was broken.

But head coach Vlatko Andonovski was sanguine – saying that he would rather have this loss now than in the play-offs for the NWSL Championship, where a defeat would mean being knocked out of the competition.

“This was one of those games, and sometimes things like this will happen,” he said. “You’re going to dominate, you’re going to do everything well but you’re not going to score a goal and you’re going to get punished…I’m glad it happened now and not two games from now.”

The Dash are tenth in the NWSL table, outside the...