Match Report: Kansas City Current secures fifth seed in NWSL Playoffs following 1-0 loss to Louisville Saturday night

The Kansas City Current (10-6-6, 36pts, 5th place) closed its 2022 regular season campaign in heartbreaking fashion Saturday night, losing 1-0 to Racing Louisville FC (5-9-8, 23pts, 9th place) on a goal from Louisville forward Jessica McDonald in second-half stoppage time. Saturday’s result means Kansas City will enter the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) postseason as the fifth seed. 

“Difficult ending to a tight game,” said head coach Matt Potter. “That wraps up our…regular season and now we move on to the playoffs which is something that obviously we get to look forward to doing and others don’t right now.”

Both sides had plenty of scoring opportunities Saturday night, and Kansas City generated six shots on goal to Louisville’s two in the contest. One of the most clear-cut came in the first few minutes of the match from forward Claire Lavogez. On a recycled ball following a Current corner kick in the seventh minute, defender Elizabeth Ball got on the end of a cross in the penalty area and nodded the ball toward goal. Lavogez swung her foot high and volleyed the ball at the net, but Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund made a diving save to keep the match level. 

Louisville responded with a quality opportunity of its own minutes later. McDonald headed a second-chance cross back to the penalty spot, which fell right to midfielder Lauren Milliet. However, Milliet fired her shot over the bar. 

After Milliet’s warning shot in the 14th minute, the remaining 30 minutes of the opening half played to a stalemate. Kansas City and Louisville both tested the opposing goalkeepers from distance, and Current goalkeeper AD Franch made a near-post save on a dangerous header in the 37th minute, but neither side could find a breakthrough and the match remained scoreless at halftime. 

In the 58th minute, Kansas City had its most clear-cut opportunity of the match. Midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta made a sliding challenge in the attacking third that fell perfectly to forward Cece Kizer as she sprinted toward goal. Presented with a one-on-one opportunity with Lund, Kizer fired a left-footed strike that Louisville’s goalkeeper dove to deny. Defender Hailie Mace ripped a shot from distance in the 68th minute, but the ball fell comfortably to Lund. Louisville’s goalkeeper, who entered Saturday with a league-high 108 saves, made six stops in the victory. 

Then, in the 78th minute, Current midfielder Desiree Scott picked up her second yellow card of the match, resulting in a red card and ejection from the match. The red card marked the first of Scott’s NWSL career. 

Kansas City defended valiantly with 10 players, but Louisville took hold of the contest in stoppage time. Following a dangerous cross, Louisville midfielder Jaelin Howell collected the loose ball and slid a pass to midfielder Savannah DeMelo in the Current’s penalty area. She found McDonald, who raced forward and slotted the ball past Franch in the 90+2 minute to win the match. 

Despite the defeat, Kansas City can look forward to its first NWSL postseason appearance, which will be on the road against the fourth seed Houston Dash. More information regarding the date and time of the Current’s opening playoff match will be made available in the coming days.