NJ/NY Gotham FC shock Kansas City Current in huge NWSL Playoffs upset, advance to semifinals

There are favorites and then there are the Kansas City Current, whose championship credentials make up a very long list. They were not only the No. 1 seed in the postseason, becoming the NWSL’s newest Shield winners in the process. The Current were far and away the best team in the regular season, winning the Shield in record time and finishing 21 points above the second-place Washington Spirit. They have also hoarded an impressive batch of attacking talent, a fail-safe that should be enough to overcome any challenge, especially a quarterfinal match against the lowest-seeded team in the postseason.

Playoffs by nature, though, adhere to a different set of rules. Only in the playoffs would the Current be forced to prove their worth against an out-of-form Gotham FC side that had slid all the way down to eighth place on Decision Day – and only in the playoffs would their hopes of winning their first-ever NWSL Championship over on the very day their quest began. The very same Gotham that took part in a dispiriting defeat to the North Carolina Courage a week ago delivered the first upset of the NWSL playoffs in dramatic fashion, scoring in the 121st minute to eliminate the Current on Sunday.

There will be some asterisks next to the Current’s defeat, naturally. The No. 1 vs. No. 8 tag was a bit of a misnomer here, Gotham’s Jaedyn Shaw indicating as much post-match when she said, “Underdog my ass. We’re not underdogs.” The Current were also without the golden boot winner and last season’s MVP Temwa Chawinga, as well as rising U.S. women’s national team star Michelle Cooper while starter Bia Zaneratto played with a sprained MCL. Gotham, too, were without 2023 Women’s World Cup winner Esther Gonzalez, who scored around 40% of the team’s goals this season. The conditions were imperfect for both sides and made for an imperfect match, but one that tested both teams’ game-planning as a result.

In a frigid Kansas City, quality shots were few and far between for much of the game, neither side mustering more than 0.7 expected goals each until the game’s opening goal. Shaw’s strike ended up coming from a rare defensive lapse from the Current – Emily Sonnett pinged a ball from the midfield line towards Shaw, the Current defense out of sorts in a rare moment. Shaw then went for goal and managed to get the shot off despite having a body on her, giving her side the lead.

Shaw’s goal marked a sign of Gotham’s progress during an inconsistent season, especially in attack. The 2023 NWSL champions have been overly reliant on Gonzalez, their attack unable to replace the output of the departed Lynn Biyendolo and Yazmeen Ryan for much of the season. Shaw’s arrival in September, though, has added another gear to an unfinished attack and allows head coach Juan Carlos Amoros to at least temporarily solve some problems ahead of what could be an important offseason regardless of postseason results.

Gotham then paid the price for their time-wasting efforts down the stretch and in the end, a surprise error from goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger proved costly. The Current found an equalizer in the sixth minute of stoppage time courtesy of surprise hero Ellie Wheeler, finding a sliver of space that goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger left unoccupied by the post and slotting the ball past her to ensure the teams would play a round of extra time.

Wheeler’s goal offered the Current plenty of momentum, Berger making up for her error with a big save on Zaneatoo’s attempt in the first half of extra time. As the game wore on, though, things were much more evenly contested. The two teams jointly generated just 0.61 expected goals, the game ready to break for either side by the finest of margins. Things eventually tilted in Gotham’s favor – just as the fourth official indicated there would be two minutes of stoppage time before a penalty shootout proved to do the trick, Berger launched the ball from the halfway line and it eventually led to Katie Stengel scoring from close range. It was not the first time Stengel managed such a feat – she scored in extra time in Gotham’s semifinal win over the Portland Thorns in 2023, en route to the game’s win in the Championship.

Gotham have now reached the semifinals for a third season in a row and will face the Orlando Pride on Sunday. Both sides target a return to the NWSL Championship on Nov. 22, which will take place at San Jose’s PayPal Park.