The Kansas City Current defeated the fifth-seeded North Carolina Courage 1-0 on Saturday in the first round of the NWSL playoffs.
The difference-maker was an eighth-minute goal from Temwa Chawinga, who started and then finished a chaotic sequence that saw a save, a block, and a ricochet off the post in just a few seconds. With the defender sprawled on the ground, and the goalkeeper on the other side of the net, Chawinga’s goal slipped into the left side easily.
The possession started with a tip-away by Claire Hutton just past the center line, which was played forward to Debinha, then to Chawinga, who instantly recognized the momentum shift and streaked up the left side.
The goal capped a string of hot chances in the first fifteen minutes — a shot up the middle from Vanessa DiBernardo saved by goalkeeper Casey Murphy, a cross from Chawinga to Hutton that was fired just wide, a Chawinga chip tipped away by Murphy — and clearly demonstrated the difference in styles between the clubs.
Kansas City’s high-velocity attack looked for chances to get out and run, while North Carolina nearly lulled the defense and the crowd to sleep, passing back and forth in the back line, looking for a crack in KC’s formation, then perhaps shifting forward a few yards and repeating the cycle.
The visitors racked up 629 passes, to Kansas City’s 344, as they cycled the ball laterally around the offense.
The Current held a big early advantage on shots, 10-3 after 30 minutes, but the Courage’s disciplined approach to possession gradually yielded chances through the rest of the game, finishing with 12 shots to the Current’s 14.
In stoppage time, North Carolina’s frustrations boiled over as Courage winger Bianca St-Georges stood over Chawinga as Kansas City’s scoring leader lay on the ground, grimacing after one of many Courage takedowns. Teammates Ellie Wheeler and Desi Scott came to her defense, putting St-Georges on the turf.
Kansas City goalkeeper Almuth Schult had four saves to keep a clean sheet for the Current, her seventh of the season.
After the match, head coach Vlatko Andonovski praised the defensive-minded shift since the team opened the season with a 5-4 win.
“I also knew that going into the playoffs 1-0 games are important,” said Andonovski, “and you probably heard me over the course of the season saying that we have to learn how to win a game 1-0. It’s important because when we come in situations like this where the season is on the line, the teams get a little more conservative and it’s harder to score goals and we’re not going to be able to score five.”
“I think the second half of the season we worked a lot on that from the tactical standpoint but also from the mental standpoint and I’m so proud of the players that they executed in the hardest battle yet.”
The fourth-seeded Current now goes on the road to face number one seed Orlando Pride. The Current lost their match-up in Kansas City in July 2-1 and played to a scoreless draw in Orlando in September. Update: The Current-Pride game will be played on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2:00 p.m. at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando.
If the Current wins in Florida, the team will have a home game for the final, since the NWSL has booked CPKC Stadium to host the championship game.
Photos from Kansas City Current – North Carolina Courage Playoff
