September Sports Recap: Big Performances, Historic Moments and What Comes Next
A look back at September, with early October results and an October preview from Lacey’s October 4 submission.
September was an incredible month in sports. Manchester City and Barcelona delivered big performances in European soccer, St. Louis CITY SC made club history, the Kansas City Current fought through an up-and-down stretch, and the Kansas City Chiefs opened their season undefeated.
There were blowouts, comebacks, dramatic finishes and a historic trip to a cup final. Here is a look back at the games and players that stood out, along with what made October a month to watch.
Manchester City Men: Haaland Leads the Way
Erling Haaland reminded everyone why he remains one of the most dangerous strikers in the world. City opened September with a 1–0 victory over Coventry City, with Haaland heading in an Antoine Semenyo cross and Gianluigi Donnarumma making important saves to protect the lead. It was a reminder that City can win even when everything isn’t clicking.
Haaland then scored twice in a 2–0 Champions League victory at Porto. Winning on the road gave City exactly what they needed from their European opener: three points and more confidence heading into the Manchester Derby.
That derby became a much tougher test when Phil Foden was sent off in the first half. Playing with ten men at Old Trafford, City had to defend and fight for every opportunity. Haaland provided the breakthrough after halftime, and City held on for a massive 1–0 victory. Elliot Anderson also stood out and was named Player of the Match.
A 5–0 EFL Cup win over Norwich City followed, but the final league match before the international break was anything but comfortable. Sunderland pushed City into an eight-goal thriller at the Etihad. Enzo Fernández and Rayan Cherki scored, Semenyo added two, and Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey answered with a hat trick.
Eventually, Haaland had the final word. His 81st-minute goal completed a 5–3 victory and an unbeaten September. Brobbey’s hat trick was still one of the month’s most memorable individual performances, even in a losing effort.
October’s schedule brought Liverpool, PSG and more demanding matches. If September was about building momentum, October would test how far that momentum could take them.
Manchester City Women: Lauren Hemp and a Statement in Europe
Manchester City Women began their league campaign with wins over Birmingham City and Aston Villa before Liverpool gave them a real challenge.
Lauren Hemp scored first, but Liverpool responded with two goals. Khadija “Bunny” Shaw equalized before halftime, and the match remained tense until City took control late. A Grace Fisk own goal put City ahead before Hemp scored again in stoppage time to seal a 4–2 victory.
Hemp’s two goals made her the star of the night, but City’s ability to respond after falling behind mattered just as much.
Their Champions League opener at Bayern Munich required another comeback. Bayern went two goals ahead before Beth Mead pulled one back just before halftime. Carlotta Wamser’s 86th-minute equalizer earned City a hard-fought 2–2 draw.
That result showed something important about this team: they can take a punch from one of Europe’s elite sides and respond.
City closed September with a 1–0 win over Charlton Athletic, then carried that momentum into early October with a 1–1 draw against Real Madrid and a 4–2 victory over Arsenal. League meetings with Brighton and Manchester United, plus another European test against PSG, gave them plenty more to prepare for.
Barcelona Men: Raphinha and Yamal Are Putting on a Show
Barcelona’s September was almost ridiculous.
Lamine Yamal scored twice in a 5–0 win at Valencia, with Fermín López, Raphinha and Pedri also finding the net. Barcelona controlled possession and kept creating chances while giving Valencia very little room to respond.
Their Champions League opener against Feyenoord showed the same attacking depth. Raphinha scored twice, Yamal contributed a goal and two assists, and Karim Adeyemi and Gabriel Jesus also got on the scoresheet.
Levante made Barcelona work harder. Yamal scored twice as Barça built a 3–0 lead, but two late Levante goals suddenly made it a real contest. Adeyemi’s stoppage-time goal ended the drama and secured a 4–2 victory.
Then Barcelona absolutely exploded against Racing Santander. Raphinha scored a hat trick, João Cancelo, Gabriel Jesus and Yamal added goals, and an own goal completed a 7–2 win.
Raphinha followed that with another hat trick in a 3–1 victory at Sevilla. Two consecutive hat tricks were an incredible way to finish the month, and Barcelona continued to get contributions from across the attack.
That is what makes this team so dangerous. They have multiple ways to beat you. With European competition and the men’s El Clásico on the October calendar, those options would become even more important.
Barcelona Women: European Champions Keep Rolling
Barcelona Women were just as dominant. They opened September with a 4–0 win at Sevilla and a 4–2 victory over Atlético Madrid before Clàudia Pina’s second-half hat trick helped turn a trip to Alavés into a 6–0 rout.
Their Champions League campaign began with a 5–2 win over Paris FC. Ewa Pajor scored twice, while Caroline Graham Hansen and Pina helped keep the attack moving. A 2–0 league win at Logroño followed before Barcelona overwhelmed Roma 6–0 in Europe.
Then came the start of October. Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 7–0 in the women’s El Clásico, with Pina scoring four times. It was one of the most remarkable individual performances of the young season.
That October result was outside the September recap, but it showed how much momentum Barcelona carried out of the month. This looks like a team that expects to win every competition it enters.
Kansas City Current: Haley Hopkins Delivers a Big Response
The Kansas City Current experienced both incredible highs and frustrating lows.
They began September with a dramatic win at Bay FC. Izzy Rodriguez scored directly from a corner kick, a goal known as an Olimpico, before Bay equalized. Rocky Rodríguez then delivered the 89th-minute winner, with Croix Bethune providing the assist.
A 2–2 draw against Orlando followed. Barbra Banda scored twice for the Pride, but Kansas City answered with two goals in three second-half minutes. The Current refused to let the match slip away.
Their trip to San Diego was more frustrating. A 2–0 defeat left Kansas City needing a response, and Haley Hopkins provided it when Denver Summit FC came to CPKC Stadium.
Denver scored first, but Hopkins equalized before halftime and added two more goals early in the second half to complete a hat trick. Temwa Chawinga then scored to finish a 4–1 comeback victory and extend the Current’s unbeaten home streak to 30 league matches.
That was the kind of response a playoff team needs. Kansas City carried it into October with a 5–1 victory over Bay FC, featuring a Debinha hat trick. With the regular season nearing its end, every result mattered.
St. Louis CITY SC: A Historic Run
September might belong to St. Louis CITY SC.
CITY fell behind early at Vancouver but responded with goals from Simon Becher, Tomáš Totland and Conrad Wallem to win 3–1. A 2–2 draw at Portland followed before St. Louis returned home and defeated Minnesota United 4–2, with Rafael Navarro scoring twice.
But the moment that changed the month came in Colorado. CITY entered the U.S. Open Cup semifinal knowing a win would send the club to its first final.
They delivered.
Sangbin Jeong opened the scoring, Becher doubled the lead, and Alexandru Mățan added a third. The 3–0 victory extended CITY’s unbeaten run to 17 matches across all competitions and secured a place in the U.S. Open Cup Final.
The final whistle meant more than another win. St. Louis was going to play for a trophy.
CITY then defeated Toronto FC 3–1 and the New York Red Bulls 3–0, extending that unbeaten run to 19 matches. Becher continued contributing goals, while Navarro and Tomáš Ostrák helped finish the job in New York.
The October 21 final against the Columbus Crew became the date to circle. For a club still so young, reaching a major final is an enormous accomplishment.
Congratulations to St. Louis CITY SC!
Kansas City Chiefs: Mahomes Returns and Walker Makes His Mark
The Chiefs opened the season with plenty of questions, especially around Patrick Mahomes’ return from a serious knee injury. But in the opener against Denver, Kenneth Walker III stole the show.
Walker rushed for 173 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown, and caught a touchdown pass in his Chiefs debut. Mahomes threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing score as Kansas City won 31–10.
If the opener was impressive, Week 2 was wild. The Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts went to overtime, with Mahomes throwing for 382 yards and three touchdowns. Travis Kelce caught nine passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, while Walker added 117 rushing yards.
Harrison Butker’s 40-yard field goal as time expired gave Kansas City a thrilling 33–30 victory.
The Chiefs’ trip to Miami was more controlled. Walker scored on the ground and through the air, Mahomes threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns, and Kansas City won 24–10 to finish September at 3–0.
Three games, three different kinds of victories. Denver showed the power of the running game. Indianapolis showed the Chiefs could survive a shootout. Miami showed they could control a game from start to finish.
And perhaps most importantly, Mahomes looked healthy. An October schedule featuring the Raiders, Chargers and Seahawks would give Kansas City more chances to build on that start.
Looking Ahead
September wasn’t just about wins and losses. It was about the players who changed games.
Haaland kept finding big goals. Hemp helped City answer difficult moments. Raphinha and Yamal gave Barcelona opponents plenty to worry about, while Pina continued to shine for the women’s team. Hopkins delivered a huge response for the Current, and Walker made one of the loudest possible introductions to Kansas City.
For St. Louis CITY SC, those individual contributions became something bigger: a historic run and a chance to play for the club’s first cup trophy.
September gave us plenty of memorable moments. With European matches, rivalry games, the NWSL’s closing stretch and the U.S. Open Cup Final on October’s calendar, there was plenty more to watch.