Kansas City Current advances to NWSL semifinal round with 1-0 victory over North Carolina Courage

The Kansas City Current (16-3-7, 55pts., No. 4 Seed) capped a historic Saturday at CPKC Stadium with a 1-0 victory over the North Carolina Courage (12-11-3, 39pts., No. 5 Seed). Saturday’s quarterfinal match in the 2024 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel, was the first home playoff match in both Current and CPKC Stadium history. Forward Temwa Chawinga found the match-winning goal in the eighth minute following a chaotic sequence in the penalty area, and a stout defensive performance allowed the Current to make a victorious return to the postseason.  

In the fourth meeting between the sides in 2024, the Current withstood plenty of North Carolina pressure throughout the contest but were able to keep the visitors off the scoresheet. Goalkeeper Almuth Schult made four saves Saturday afternoon in her postseason debut for the club, earning her seventh shutout across all competitions with Kansas City. Saturday’s victory sets up a date with the No. 1 Seed Orlando Pride next weekend in the NWSL semifinal round. 

"I think that this was a collective effort, we talked a lot about that leading up the game, that we are going to win this game together,” said head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “No one is going to go in and win individually or as a small group, it will take all of us and it’ll have to be together.”  

Riding the momentum of an electric atmosphere at CPKC Stadium, the Current started the match on the front foot. Midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo rolled a shot from distance in the seventh minute that North Carolina goalkeeper Casey Murphy snared, marking the first shot on target of the contest for the hosts. DiBernardo’s effort ultimately served as a warning strike as, seconds later, Chawinga put the Current in front. 

Chawinga’s goal capped a frenzied Current attack that featured multiple quality looks at goal. Midfielder Debinha played Chawinga through for a breakaway opportunity at goal down the left side of the Courage defense, but Murphy reacted well to deny the opportunity. Forward Michelle Cooper latched on to the loose ball inside North Carolina’s penalty area and found Debinha, who continued her forward run, for a clean look at goal. Debinha’s on-the-run effort 12 yards from goal struck the post and fell to Chawinga in front of the net. Chawinga’s initial effort was blocked, but she followed through on the rebound and fired the ball into a vacant net to open the scoring.  

The goal marked Chawinga’s first career NWSL postseason goal and her 23rd goal in all competitions in 2024. Chawinga’s goal was also the 100th in the history of the NWSL postseason. 

Kansas City continued to press in the early going, and midfielder Claire Hutton just missed the net with a long-range strike shortly after Chawinga’s goal. In the 18th minute, Chawinga was denied her second goal of the contest by Murphy, who made a one-handed, sprawling stop to keep a breakaway effort from Chawinga out of the back of the net. 

North Carolina grew into the match, though, and created several dangerous chances as the first half progressed. In the 33rd minute, a cross from the endline found Courage forward Kerolin Nicoli, who fired a header that Schult bobbled. Schult reached backwards to corral the loose ball, securing it with her left hand, then Courage forward Manaka Matsukubo kicked the ball out of Schult’s hands and into the back of the net. The official correctly stopped play for a foul, awarding a Schult a free kick as the Current maintained its 1-0 advantage. 

Right before halftime, defender Ellie Wheeler fired an inch-perfect cross that met Chawinga’s head, but her headed attempt went just wide of goal to mark the last action of the first half. 

The second half saw the sides play to a classic stalemate, with neither able to generate many quality scoring opportunities. Schult made a trio of saves on long-range efforts to help maintain the Current’s advantage, including a diving stop on an effort from Matsukubo in the 80th minute. Kansas City maintained control of the match, though, and saw out the one-goal victory on the heels of another resounding defensive effort. 

Chawinga’s first-half strike stood as the game-winning goal, her ninth game-winning goal of the 2024 season for the Current. Kansas City capped its return to the postseason with a shutout victory, the Current’s first in the postseason since a 2-0 victory over Seattle the 2022 NWSL semifinal round.

Kansas City’s victory sends the Current through to next weekend’s NWSL semifinal round against the Pride. The date and time for next weekend’s match will be determined after Sunday’s NWSL quarterfinal matches. 

As the Current and Pride battle for a spot in the 2024 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel, the club will host a free watch party for next weekend’s match against Orlando on CPKC Stadium grounds. Free tickets for next weekend’s watch party can be reserved HERE. 

NWSL Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. North Carolina Courage
Date: November 9, 2024
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 11:10 p.m. CT/12:10 p.m. ET
Weather: 54 degrees, cloudy
Attendance: 11,500

Discipline
28’ Kansas City – LaBonta (Yellow)
36’ North Carolina – O’Sullivan (Yellow)
90+8’ North Carolina – St. Georges (Yellow)
90+8’ Kansas City – Wheeler (Yellow)

Scoring
8’ Kansas City – Chawinga 

Scoring Summary

Kansas City Current Lineup: Schult, Wheeler, Sharples, Cook, Mace, LaBonta ©, Hutton (82’ Scott), DiBernardo (90+4’ Ballisager), Chawinga, Debinha (82’ Feist), Cooper (75’ Prince)
Unused Substitutes: Franch, Ball, Rodriguez, Hamilton, Jereko

North Carolina Courage Lineup: Murphy, Rauch (75’ Vine), Matsukubo, O’Sullivan ©, Gomes (88’ Hopkins), Williams, Sanchez (65’ Wingate), Berkely, Nicoli (75’ St. Georges), Miura (88’ Speck), Kurtz
Unused Substitutes: Hancuff, Lussi, Weatherholt, Jackson