Following a stellar 2025 season, the Kansas City Current appeared nearly invincible as they approached the NWSL playoffs. Despite the rest of the playoff teams bunched together in the standings, the looming question remained: Who could potentially defeat the formidable NWSL Shield champions in the playoffs?
The answer emerged as Gotham FC, who delivered a shocking 2-1 upset against the Current in extra time on Sunday. This defeat, suffered on a frigid day at Kansas City’s CPKC Stadium, eliminated the Current from the playoffs at the quarterfinal stage and dramatically altered the playoff landscape.
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Despite the No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup seeming one-sided, the game played out as a surprisingly close contest right from the start. Gotham, although ending up in the final playoff position after a disappointing loss on Decision Day, proved themselves to be a strong competitor this season.
Kansas City faced the challenge of competing without its two primary offensive players, Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper. Their absence was greatly felt as the teams remained scoreless for nearly the first 70 minutes of play.
Eventually, Gotham’s forward Jaedyn Shaw broke the deadlock, receiving a long ball from defender Emily Sonnett, expertly maneuvering past three Current defenders and the goalkeeper Lorena before scoring to give Gotham the lead.
As the clock ticked down, Kansas City became increasingly desperate in their pursuit of an equalizer. Despite Gotham’s defensive efforts, Ellie Wheeler managed to find the back of the net in stoppage time, sending the match into extra time.
After more than 30 minutes of extra play without a score, Gotham took a bold step by bringing their keeper Ann-Katrin Berger up for a free kick, resulting in Katie Stengel scoring the decisive goal in stoppage time.
As Jaedyn Shaw said in the postgame press conference, “Underdog my ass. We are not an underdog.”
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Throughout the season, the Current have been the most impressive team in the league, having secured the NWSL Shield back in September, with five regular-season games still to play. Kansas City dominated the league, finishing with 21 wins and an impressive 65 points, 20 points ahead of the second-placed Washington Spirit.
They scored the most goals (49) while allowing only 13, the fewest of any team in the league. Aside from Sunday’s match, they have only conceded two or more goals on two occasions this season.
None of their accomplishments changed the outcome, however. Following just their fourth loss of the season—and their first at home since July 2024—Kansas City will remain on the sidelines for the semifinals.
On the other hand, Gotham is seeking to repeat its past success. In 2023, after finishing sixth and barely making the playoffs amid a tumultuous end to the regular season, the team claimed their first NWSL title within just three games.
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Though the path to another championship may be challenging, Gotham is ready for the fight. Their next challenge will be a semifinal match against the Orlando Pride, who now host as the No. 4 seed following the Current’s exit.