Kansas City Current will host Angel City FC at CPKC Stadium on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET in the NWSL quarterfinals, with both teams entering the postseason after finishing the regular season with 54 goals each. The Current carry a 32-game home unbeaten streak dating back to 2024, while Angel City arrive on a 10-game unbeaten run and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
Previous Meetings
Angel City won the first regular-season encounter 2-1 at BMO Stadium in May, and the rematch in August ended in a 1-1 draw in Kansas City.
Kansas City's Playoff Return
The 2025 NWSL Shield winners endured a difficult start under new head coach Chris Armas after Vlatko Andonovski moved to an executive role. Early injuries to two-time Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga and departures of Bia Zaneratto and Claire Hutton left the team winless in its first four games. The turnaround coincided with Chawinga's return and the emergence of midfielder Croix Bethune, who set an NWSL single-season record with 11 assists, including six game-winning assists. Forward Haley Hopkins co-leads the team with 12 goals alongside Chawinga, and the roster's 54 goals have been scored by 13 different players. Armas said the team has found belief and consistency after early adversity.
Angel City's Remarkable Second Half
Angel City parted ways with head coach Alexander Straus in June after a slump that yielded only one win in eight games. The club then traded $850,000 in intraleague transfer funds to Kansas City for forward Ally Sentnor. Under interim coach Leif Gunnar Smerud, with Sentnor's addition and the return of Savy King to defense, the team has lost just once in its last 14 matches. Goalkeeper Angelina Anderson recorded 10 clean sheets, while fullbacks King and Evelyn Shores elevated their play, with Shores leading the team with eight assists. Sveindis Jonsdottir and Maiara Niehues combined for 19 goals, and Angel City also had 13 different goal scorers. Smerud emphasized the team's readiness for the hostile environment.
The winner will advance to the semifinals on November 14 and 15 to face the winner of Gotham FC versus Seattle Reign.
