Match Report: Kansas City Current exit Challenge Cup in semifinals

 The Kansas City Current finished its 2022 Challenge Cup run in the semifinals after a 2-1 defeat to the North Carolina Courage. The Current open up the regular season at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday, May 8 at 4 p.m. CT when the team hosts the Houston Dash in the regular season home opener. 

“Beat but never conquered,” said head coach Matt Potter. “Our attitude is sometimes things won’t go our way, but that doesn’t mean it strays us from our ultimate goal or our ultimate ambitions.” 

North Carolina opened the scoresheet in the 19th minute, when a handball in the box led to a penalty kick. Debinha stepped up to the spot to put the Courage ahead. 

The Courage would find another goal in the 36th minute. A diagonal cross in from Kerolin slipped past goalkeeper AD Franch to find North Carolina’s Diana Ordoñez sliding in at the back post. 

North Carolina nearly had a third goal in the first half when Kerolin took a tight-angle shot toward the near post, but Franch’s kick-save came up big to maintain the score. 

The Current fought to respond in the second half, with Kristen Hamilton scoring her fifth goal of the tournament in the 79th minute. A free kick from Kristen Edmonds sailed into the box, where forward Addie McCain headed the ball to the feet of Hamilton. She knocked it past North Carolina goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland to put the Current on the board. 

Kansas City will play its first regular season home match on Sunday, May 8 against the Houston Dash. Season Tickets and Flex plans are available for all home matches at Children’s Mercy Park. For pricing and information visit kansascitycurrent.com/tickets. 

NWSL Challenge Cup Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. North Carolina Courage
Date: May 4, 2022
Venue: Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS 
Kickoff: 7:38 p.m. CT/8:38 p.m. ET
Weather:  53 degrees, rain
Attendance: 4,093

Discipline
18’ Kansas City – Winebrenner (Yellow) 
56’ North Carolina – Gray (Yellow)
59’ North Carolina – Ordoñez (Yellow) 
68’ Kansas City – Hamilton (Yellow)

Scoring
19’ North Carolina – Debinha (PK) 
36’ North Carolina – Ordoñez (Kerolin) 
79’ Kansas City – Hamilton (McCain) 

Scoring Summary

Lineups:
Kansas City: Franch, Ball, Leach, Winebrenner (LaBonta 46’), Rodriguez (Mace 46’), Scott, Loera (Curran 65’), Edmonds, Bennett (McCain 70’), Pickett (Del Fava 70’), Hamilton

Substitutes Not Used: Nolf, Johnson, Miller, Schneider

North Carolina: Rowland, Daniels (Pickett 63’), Erceg, Kurtz, Mathias, O’Sullivan, Speck (Pinto 76’), Gray (Berkley 63’), Kerolin, Debinha (Williams 86’), Ordoñez (Murphy 63’) 

Substitutes Not Used: Smith, Williams, Bowen, Ratcliffe, Baisden, Bova