We♥Sports: NWSL Playoffs- Kansas City Current vs. NC Courage at CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO (09 Nov 2024)

Sometimes one goal can be enough–

The Kansas City Current women’s soccer team needed just one goal to beat the North Carolina Courage in an early weekend NWSL playoff quarterfinal at CPKC Stadium. The stadium began hosting home games this March and is the only stadium in the world dedicated to professional women’s sports, and this was the very first post-season game at the venue.

The lone goal came from their star forward Temwa Chawinga off a heated rebound and turned out to be enough to advance The Current onto the semifinal round next weekend as the team will travel to play top-seeded Orlando Pride.

KC’s defense proved enough to hold off the Courage from scoring, allowing only three goals over the last ten matches, and the team seems to have elevated their defense at the ideal time, in the single elimination post-season playoffs.

Current coach Vlatko Andonovski commented on the end result, “Going into the playoffs, one to zero games are important. “It’s important because when we come into situations like this, where the season is on the line, where the teams get a little more conservative, it’s harder to score goals.”

Chawinga’s goal came just eight minutes into the match and was her 24^th overall, of the season. From there, the defense held up and goalkeeper Almuth Schult ended with four saves, to help preserve the win.

The team hopes to continue their winning streak as CPKC Stadium is the host venue for the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League Championship, which will take place on Nov. 23. The stadium was also the host venue for the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup semifinals in August and the site for the recent 2024 Big 12 Soccer Championship. 

Kansas City plays the top-seeded Pride next Sunday, with the winner advancing to the Final Cup game. As they say at the stadium, It’s Teal Time! KC Baby!!

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