Match Report: Kansas City Current punch ticket to NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup Championship with 2-0 victory over North Carolina Courage

KANSAS CITY (August 6, 2024) — Powered by goals from forward Temwa Chawinga and midfielder Debinha, the Kansas City Current defeated the North Carolina Courage 2-0 in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup semifinal Tuesday night at CPKC Stadium. With the win, the Current advance to the inaugural Summer Cup championship match on October 25 in San Antonio.

“If we stick to who we are, if we do what we do best, if we are being ourselves, the outcome is going to be a success,” Kansas City Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “It showed today, we represented our team in the best possible manner."

The second match of the semifinal doubleheader at CPKC Stadium kicked off as Kansas City sought to keep its Summer Cup unbeaten streak alive.

The Current wasted no time in forcing Courage goalkeeper Marisa Bova into action. Within 45 seconds of the starting whistle, Chawinga forced a save on a close shot from inside the penalty box.

Nearly a minute later, Chawinga, who missed Kansas City’s last two matches due to injury, punctuated her return with a goal only 1:43 into the match. After receiving a ball from midfielder Debinha, the Malawian striker fired a shot that caromed off Bova, right back to where Debinha was waiting. Debinha’s ensuing shot was blocked and skittered toward a running Chawinga, who delivered into the empty net to put Kansas City up 1-0.

Both teams then traded attacks, with Kansas City tallying four more shots on target. At the halftime break, the score remained 1-0 to the Current. Strong performances from the Current’s back line, including spectacular tackles from defenders Alana Cook and Ellie Wheeler, kept the visitors off the board.

In the 56th minute, a corner kick from North Carolina’s Malia Berkely was sent into the fray and eventually popped to her teammate, midfielder Dani Weatherholt. The North Carolina forward’s header popped over Franch for the apparent equalizer, but the goal was disallowed due to Weatherholt being in an offside position.

The Current mobilized another chance in the 72nd minute as Debinha fed defender Hailie Mace down the right sideline, allowing her to send a cross into the box. The cross deflected off Debinha and right to forward Michelle Cooper, but her shot sailed just wide.

Goalkeeper AD Franch held onto her clean sheet in the 75th minute with a highlight-worthy save. North Carolina’s Ashley Sanchez spun free near the penalty spot. She fired a strike on frame as Franch dove to her right, snatching the shot before it could cross the goal line.

A clearance from defender Stine Ballisager Pedersen in the 77th minute sailed toward midfield, where it seemed it would be controlled by a Courage defender. Chawinga, sprinting from just beyond the 18-yard line, won the race to the ball and broke free toward goal. Then, after bobbing and weaving into the penalty box, Chawinga had her shot blocked. Once again, Debinha was in the right place and found a goal. Striking the shot true, the ball went between the legs of Bova and sealed the 2-0 win for Kansas City.

Debinha entered the match with three goals scored in the Summer Cup, one shy of Club Tijuana’s Aisha Solórzano for the tournament’s Golden Boot. With her goal in Tuesday’s match, she is now tied for the Golden Boot. The Brazilian, Kansas City’s leading goal scorer last season, has now scored in each of Kansas City’s last three matches. Her tie for the leading goal scorer in Summer Cup history (4) goes along with her all-time lead in NWSL Challenge Cup scoring (12).

The Current will return to action in just over a week, as the club welcomes top squads from around the world to CPKC Stadium for The Women’s Cup. The Current begin the four-team event against South African club Mamelodi Sundowns Aug. 14, then will face either Spain’s Atlético de Madrid or Japan’s INAC Kobe Leonessa or Aug. 17. For tickets and more information about the tournament, click here.

NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. NC Courage
Date: Aug. 6, 2024
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 8:09 p.m. CT 
Weather: 77 degrees, partly cloudy

Discipline
None

Scoring
2’ Kansas City –– Chawinga
78’ Kansas City –– Debinha

Scoring Summary

Kansas City Current Lineup: Franch, Wheeler, Ballisager, Cook, Mace, Hutton, LaBonta ©, DiBernardo (Feist 82’), Debinha (Spaanstra 82’), Chawinga (Hamilton 82’), Cooper (Steigleder, 90+1’)
Unused Substitutes: Silkowitz, Glas, Rodriguez, Weinman, DeFazio

North Carolina Courage Lineup: Bova, Kurtz, Berkeley, Williams, Weatherholt (McLean 90+1’), Miura, O’Sullivan ©, Sanchez (Jackson 77’), Hopkins (Pinto 77’), Lussi (Speck 64’), Pickett
Unused Substitutes: Hancuff, Staude, Haugen, Mertz, McCutcheon