November 16, 2024

By Fred Liggett
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The first home playoff match in both Kansas City Current and CPKC Stadium history provided memories to last a lifetime for the team and its fans. Saturday, Nov. 9 will be remembered as an historic day thanks to the Current scoring a 1-0 victory over the North Carolina Courage.

For Phillip Carroll and Eli Schaefer, both of Lee’s Summit, it was their first game in person at CPKC Stadium. Carroll says the couple “watched a lot of games on TV, try to watch each one.” Carroll adds, “We are big Chawinga fans.” Schaefer adds “a big fan of goalkeeper AD Franch too.” Carroll feels “the fans, are locked in.” Carroll admits the couple “definitely want to make more games next year.” Both Carroll and Schaefer were rewarded when they saw their favorite Current player Tamwa Chawinga score the game’s only goal in the eighth minute.

KC Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski says it’s good to “learn how to win when season on the line.” Andonovski adds it was “a collective effort.” Coach Andonovski called the playoff atmosphere “amazing.” Adding “such a great atmosphere, it’s electric.” Andonovski feels “players love it, feed off of it.”

Coach A, as he is called by many Current fans, calls it “one of the best times in my career.” Current midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo felt, “The energy was unmatched at the start of the game.” “We love playing on our home field.” If successful in the NWSL semifinal round the Current could play one more game on their home field. The Current’s home, CPKC Stadium is the host site of the NWSL championship game set for Saturday, Nov. 23.

The 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage means the Current advanced to a NWSL semifinal round game at Orlando. The Pride is the number one seed in the NWSL playoffs and have gone 1-0-1 vs the Current during the regular season. The Current vs Pride semifinal round game will be played on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.