Match Preview: Now Playing – Kansas City Current at Gotham FC in 2026 NWSL Semifinals on Sunday

KANSAS CITY (Nov. 14, 2026) – After an electrifying premiere at home in the quarterfinals, the Kansas City Current returns for the sequel of the 2026 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel, with semifinal action on Sunday, Nov. 15. The fourth-seed Current (16-9-5, 53 pts., 4th place) will face top-seed Gotham FC (18-5-7, 61 pts. 1st place) at Icahn Stadium in New York, N.Y., with a spot in the final on the line. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. CT (3 p.m. ET). 

Fans in Kansas City can be part of the blockbuster experience with Teal Time on the big screen at the Kansas City Current’s Official Semifinal Watch Party at Current Landing on Sunday. Fan entry will begin at 1 p.m. CT and tickets can be reserved HERE.

The game will broadcast nationally on ABC with Jenn Hildreth and Lianne Sanderson on the call. The match will also air on ESPN Deportes with Cristina Alexander and Natalia Astrain as well as on the World Feed with JP Dellacamera and Saskia Webber. Fans can listen to the action locally over the air on 90.9 The Bridge with Jillian Carroll Letrinko and Dave Borchardt. An audio feed will also be available in English, Spanish and Portuguese on the KC Current App.

Last week, the Current launched the latest iteration of their annual playoff campaign: “Now Playing: Teal Time.” The club has continued to galvanize fans and the community with themed billboards, clapper boards, red carpet events, pep rallies and more throughout the team’s postseason run. More information can be found HERE.

Limited-edition playoff merchandise is still available for purchase HERE, including player movie-poster inspired tees, Teal Time tees and scarves, beanies and pins.

MATCH INFO

Who: Kansas City Current at Gotham FC

What: 2026 NWSL Semifinals
Where: Icahn Stadium – New York, N.Y.     
When: Sunday, Nov. 15
Kickoff: 2 p.m. CT (3 p.m. ET)
TV: ABC, ESPN Deportes, World Feed
Radio: 90.9 The Bridge

TEN THINGS TO KNOW

1. Kansas City’s 2026 playoff berth marks its third consecutive, and fourth overall, postseason appearance in the club’s six-year history. The Current is one of just four NWSL teams riding a postseason streak of three or more years. The club secured the No. 4 seed, tied for its second-best regular season finish.

2. Sunday marks Kansas City’s third appearance in the NWSL semifinals. The Current, who have reached the semifinals in three of their four playoff berths, also advanced to this round in 2022 and 2024. The club is seeking its second trip to the final, and first since 2022.

3. This will be the fourth meeting between Kansas City and Gotham this season in NWSL competition and is the second consecutive year the two sides have met in the NWSL Playoffs. Kansas City, which is on a six-game winning streak, holds a 7-3-5 edge in the all-time series.

4. Forward Michelle Cooper scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 96th minute of the Current’s 1-0 overtime win vs. Angel City FC in the NWSL quarterfinals at CPKC Stadium on Nov. 7. It was Cooper’s first career playoff goal, and Kansas City’s third home playoff game in franchise history. 

5. Including Cooper’s spot kick last weekend, Kansas City has taken – and converted – three penalty kicks in the NWSL Playoffs, more than any other club (excluding PK shootouts). Cooper, along with midfielders Vanessa DiBernardo and Lo’eau LaBonta, are three of eight players in league history who have successfully converted their playoff PK attempt (excluding shootouts). 

6. The Current has scored nine playoff goals in club history with nine different players scoring those goals. Excluding own goals, and despite making its first playoff appearance just five seasons ago, the team’s nine different postseason goalscorers are tied for third in NWSL history. 

7. Goalkeeper Lorena earned her first career NWSL Playoffs shutout last weekend against Angel City, making two saves. It was Kansas City’s third playoff clean sheet in club history. Lorena recently finished 28th in the 2026 Ballon d’Or Feminin rankings.

8. Entering this weekend, DiBernardo has 13 career playoff appearances and starts. Her next playoff appearance will move her to a tie for second in league history while her next playoff start will move her to sole possession of second. Her 1,134 career playoff minutes rank third.

9. Forward Temwa Chawinga, the two-time defending NWSL MVP, earned her third consecutive MVP nomination. Midfielder Croix Bethune, who was named the inaugural NWSL Midfielder of the Year in 2024 as a rookie with Washington, garnered her second such career nomination. More information about their nominations can be found HERE.

10. Chawinga landed on the five-player shortlist for the prestigious 2026 BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year, her first career nomination. Voting can be found HERE. She also recently received her second career nomination for the CAF Women’s Player of the Year after finishing 10th in the Ballon d’Or rankings.

AVAILABILITY REPORT 
OUT: Alana Cook (SEI-Knee), Clare Gagne (SEI-Head), Mary Long (D-45), Ellie Bravo-Young (Maternity)

QUESTIONABLE: None 

INTERNATIONAL DUTY: None 

CURRENT LANDING WATCH PARTY

Teal Time is coming to a screen near you. Kansas City is hosting a watch party for Sunday’s NWSL semifinal at Current Landing, the waterfront mixed-use district anchored by CPKC Stadium and the Missouri River. Fans in attendance can look forward to a themed watch party as the Current takes on Gotham FC with a trip to the NWSL championship match on the line. Fan entry will begin at 1 p.m. CT and free tickets can be reserved HERE. 

More information about the planned activations for Sunday's watch party can be found HERE. Additional information about Sunday’s watch party can be found HERE.

LIGHT UP THE PITCH

Prepare to embark on an immersive journey this holiday season that will transform CPKC Stadium into a winter wonderland with Light Up The Pitch, a dazzling walkthrough experience from Nov. 27-Jan. 3. The approx. 60-minute walk designed for guests of all ages will include interactive lights, train depot, an accented 26-foot tree, a larger-than-life Santa and much more. More information can be found HERE, and tickets can be purchased HERE.