The Kansas City Current are the first team to seal their place in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs.
They beat North Carolina Courage 2-0 on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd at CPKC Stadium, with first-half goals from Izzy Rodriguez and Lo’eau LaBonta.
It means Vlatko Andonovski’s team have equalled Orlando Pride’s record-setting performance from last year for the fastest team to secure a playoff berth, with eight regular season games remaining.
“Our group did not put a certain goal of clinching a playoff or winning the shield or getting a shutout. Our goal is to come out as a group and be the best that we can possibly be every game we play,” said head coach Andonovski to the club website.
“We’ve operated like that for a year-and-a-half now and we’re only focused on being the best we can be in this game. We have a rule: We celebrate tonight, we rest tomorrow and we get ready for the next one.”
“We’re excited but the job’s not finished,” said player Claire Hutton. “We have a lot to do, I think we have eight games left in the league and we want to finish out, winning every single game.
“Whether we’re at home or away and we’re here to win a championship we’re not here just to win the league, we’re not here just to make playoffs, we’re making a difference this year.”
The Current currently have 46 points, with 15 wins, two draws and one loss after 18 matchdays this season. They are 14 points ahead of second-placed Washington Spirit.
KC Current’s NWSL record
This marks the KC Current’s third playoff appearance in NWSL franchise history, having now done so in back-to-back seasons.
They were seeded fourth in the 2024 NWSL Playoffs, hosting North Carolina Courage and winning 1-0. However, they lost 3-2 in the semi-finals to eventual champions Orlando Pride.
KC Current’s first playoff qualification came in 2022, beating Houston Dash 2-1 in the quarter-finals, and then defeating OL Reign (now known as Seattle Reign FC) in the semi-final to book a spot in the championship match, where they ultimately concluded their historic season with a 2-0 loss to Portland Thorns.
The NWSL Championship 2025 will be decided on Saturday, November 22nd, in the Bay Arena, San Jose.
The 2024 NWSL Champions were Orlando Pride, with NY/NJ Gotham winning in 2023.
Prior to Portland Thorns’ win in 2022, Washington Spirit were crowned 2021 champions. The season was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
