Match Preview: Kansas City Current open NWSL postseason with historic home match against North Carolina Courage

KANSAS CITY (Nov. 8, 2024) –– The Kansas City Current (16-3-7, 55pts., No. 4 Seed) open the 2024 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel, with a historic quarterfinal match against the North Carolina Courage (12-11-3, 39pts., No. 5 Seed) Saturday at CPKC Stadium. Saturday’s match marks the first home postseason match in both Kansas City Current and CPKC Stadium history, and kicks off at 11 a.m. CT. The contest will broadcast nationally on CBS with Jacqui Oatley and Lori Lindsey on the call. Fans in Kansas City can listen to Dave Borchardt and Jillian Carroll Letrinko call the action on 90.9 The Bridge or listen in English, Spanish or Portuguese on the KC Current App.

The Current entered the final match of the 2024 regular season already locked into the No. 4 seed for the postseason following results earlier in the weekend. Still, Kansas City entered the playoffs on a high note with a commanding 3-1 road victory over the Chicago Red Stars last Sunday. The match saw the Current shatter the NWSL record for goals scored in a single season, as Kansas City’s three goals against Chicago brought the squad’s final total to 57 for the 2024 regular season.

The Current scored three goals in a 10-minute stretch during the first half, kicked off by forward Michelle Cooper in the 23rd minute. Midfielder Debinha doubled the Current’s advantage three minutes later, and forward Nichelle Prince scored Kansas City’s third and final goal of the match in the 33rd minute. The Red Stars did find the back of the net in the second half, but the Current did more than enough offensively to emerge with a two-goal victory. Last Sunday’s victory extended the Current’s unbeaten streak to nine matches in all competitions.

North Carolina enters the postseason on a two-match losing streak, the most recent of which was a 1-0 defeat against the Washington Spirit last Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park. The loss snapped a 21-match home unbeaten streak for the Courage, a streak that dated back to April 2023. Spirit forward Ashley Hatch scored the game-winning goal in the 37th minute.

The Current and Courage split the regular season meetings this season, with each side earning a win at home. Debinha scored the lone goal of the contest in the sides’ first meeting, a 1-0 Current victory at CPKC Stadium May 12. North Carolina salvaged a split, though, recording a come-from-behind 2-1 victory at WakeMed Soccer Park Sept. 1. Forward Brianna Pinto scored the match-winning goal in second-half stoppage time. Coincidentally, the loss was the last suffered by the Current heading into the postseason.

The sides also met in the semifinal round of the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup Aug. 6 at CPKC Stadium, continuing a lengthy history of knockout round matches between Kansas City and North Carolina. Forward Temwa Chawinga opened the scoring in the second minute, and Debinha gave the Current a 2-0 victory with a goal in the 78th minute.

YEAR IN REVIEW
It’s been a historic season for the Kansas City Current both on and off the pitch. From opening the first purpose-built stadium in the world for a women’s professional sports team back in March, to earning two trophies in summer competitions and the incredible contributions of Chawinga, who recorded the most impressive offensive season in NWSL history, the 2024 Current will hold a prominent place in both franchise and league history.

In 2024, the club set franchise single-season records in wins (16), total points (55) and shutouts (9). Kansas City also posted an NWSL-record 18 different goal scorers in regular season play, and the Current’s offense made further history by recording the highest single-season scoring total in NWSL history with 57 goals. The Current also took home some hardware, winning The Women’s Cup in August and the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Cup in October, and became the first team in NWSL history to sell out all its regular season home matches.

Individually, the Current were led by Chawinga’s brilliant debut season that saw her leave a permanent imprint on NWSL history. In her first season with the club, Chawinga set both NWSL and franchise single-season records for goals scored (20), goal contributions (20 goals, 6 assists), consecutive games with a goal (8) and for being the first player in NWSL history to score against every other team in a season with 10+ teams. Chawinga formally took home the 2024 NWSL Golden Boot, awarded to the player with the most regular season goals, becoming the first Current player to earn the honor. By season’s end, Chawinga could also become the first player in franchise history to win an NWSL MVP award.

Outside of Chawinga’s 20 goals, the Current scored 37 total goals on the season. That total equaled the Portland Thorns’ goal output and is greater than nine other NWSL teams’ scoring total for the entire 2024 season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kansas City Current midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo –– DiBernardo is one of several Current players enjoying a career-best year, and the veteran midfielder’s stellar 2024 campaign has placed her squarely in consideration for postseason recognition. DiBernardo has scored five goals and recorded six assists, tied for the team high with Chawinga, in regular season play. Her goals have come in spectacular and historic fashion, including the first-ever goal at CPKC Stadium back in March and the team’s first direct free kick goal of the 2024 season in October against Racing Louisville FC. The do-it-all midfielder has also won 25 tackles and made 28 interceptions and is a strong contender for the NWSL’s newly created Midfielder of the Year Award. With an assist last Sunday against the Red Stars, DiBernardo holds the Current’s franchise record for NWSL regular season assists (8).

North Carolina Courage defender Kaleigh Kurtz –– Kurtz is the staple of a defense that allowed just 28 goals in the 2024 regular season, tied for the second-lowest total in the league. Kurtz has anchored the Courage defense throughout the season, quite literally, as she played every minute of North Carolina’s matches in the 2024 NWSL regular season. Declared one of the few to earn a nod as one of the “Iron Women,” an award given to NWSL players who feature in every minute of the regular season for their respective teams, Kurtz has done so in three consecutive seasons. Kurtz is just the second field player in NWSL history to be an Iron Woman in three consecutive seasons.

WE MEET AGAIN
Not only will Saturday’s contest mark the fourth meeting in 2024 between Kansas City and North Carolina, it will also continue a trend of the Current and Courage continuing to match up with one another when the stakes are highest. In knockout matches across all competitions, Saturday will mark the fourth-ever time Kansas City and North Carolina have dueled in a win-or-go-home contest.

The Current and Courage have met twice all-time in the semifinal round of the NWSL Challenge Cup in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. North Carolina earned one-goal victories in both matches. However, the Current flipped the script when the sides met in August for the semifinal round of the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup back in August at CPKC Stadium. Chawinga and Debinha powered the Current to its first-ever victory over the Courage in a knockout match with a 2-0 victory, setting Kansas City up to eventually win the inaugural 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup over NJ/NY Gotham FC in late October.

The last six NWSL regular season meetings between the Current and Courage have been separated by a single goal. Given the already-tense nature of the NWSL postseason and the lengthy history between both sides, another cagey affair could be on the cards Saturday. Entering Saturday, Kansas City and North Carolina are all square in all-time meetings with a 5-5-2 record against each other.

QUARTERFINAL BREAKDOWN
The 2024 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel, formally get underway Friday night. The Current are making the franchise’s second-ever appearance in the postseason, with the first coming in 2022. Kansas City went on a lengthy postseason run two years ago, advancing to the NWSL Championship but ultimately fell to the Portland Thorns. Saturday’s match against the Courage will mark the first home playoff match in both franchise and CPKC Stadium history.

Elsewhere, the No. 1 Orlando Pride open the postseason on Friday night against the No. 8 Chicago Red Stars. That match kicks off at 7 p.m. CT from Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida and will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video. The Pride took home the NWSL Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular season record. The winner of Saturday’s match between the No. 4 Current and No. 5 Courage will play the winner of Friday’s match between Orlando and Chicago. While the Pride won the NWSL Shield, a shield winner has yet to win the NWSL Championship in the same season.

On the other side of the bracket, a doubleheader Sunday closes the quarterfinal round. At 11:30 a.m. CT, the No. 2 Washington Spirit host No. 7 Bay FC, who capped its debut season with a postseason appearance. At 2:00 p.m. CT, No. 3 NJ/NY Gotham FC hosts No. 6 Portland Thorns FC. Both matches will be broadcast on ABC.

Dates and times for the semifinal round of the NWSL playoffs will be announced shortly after the conclusion of the quarterfinal round.

INJURY UPDATE
Kansas City Current forward Bia Zaneratto was placed on the Season Ending Injury list Friday afternoon, ending her 2024 campaign. Signed prior to the season, Zaneratto scored five goals and four assists in 16 games played this season. Hampered by a foot injury, Zaneratto will now focus on returning to play in 2025.

IT’S TEAL TIME
The Kansas City Current will be turning Kansas City — and the world — teal as the club gears up for the 2024 postseason. To celebrate the club’s historic 2024 season and count down to the first home playoff match in franchise history, the Current launched its “Teal Time” campaign Monday with a series of activations around the Kansas City area.

Kicked off with a hype video narrated by KC Current co-owner Patrick Mahomes, the Teal Time campaign will include several opportunities for fans to also join in the excitement around the team’s playoff run.  The Current have placed three digital clocks, standing over five feet tall, around Kansas City that are counting down to the club’s quarterfinal match.  Multiple billboards in the Kansas City area will use dynamic billboard technology to display the same countdown clock.  The clocks will reset after each playoff win and begin counting down to the Current’s next postseason match throughout the duration of Kansas City’s playoff run.

The club will have banners up at Union Station, place “Teal Time” chalk stencils around Kansas City and provide other exciting activations throughout the month of November.  Fans are encouraged to post their selfie photos and videos with the stencils or clocks on social media and tag the club and use #TealTime.  Clocks will be located at Union Station, the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts and City Market starting Nov. 4 and will move around other iconic locations throughout Kansas City as the team advances through the postseason.

Tickets for the No. 4 seed Current’s playoff quarterfinal match against the No. 5 seed North Carolina Courage at CPKC Stadium are on sale now to the general public. Tickets are available for purchase on KansasCityCurrent.com or via the KC Current App.