With one other heroic efficiency from Golden Boot chief Temwa Chawinga, the Kansas Metropolis Present defeated NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 Friday night time to win their second trophy of the season.
This match was the finale of the inaugural NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer season Cup regardless of its fall date. The Present additionally received The Girls’s Cup on their residence turf in the course of the Olympic break. Gotham received a unique version of The Girls’s Cup this March.
“I’m very pleased firstly,” Kansas Metropolis coach Vlatko Andonovski stated. “We fought for this trophy arduous in the summertime, performed some actually good groups, performed semifinal and a terrific staff within the last. So general, a terrific achievement by our staff and an excellent match for us.”
Chawinga — who now has 22 targets throughout all competitions — scored a brace within the first half, discovering the again of the online within the twenty fourth and thirty sixth, although the latter would have doubtless been referred to as again as offside if the match utilized VAR. Regardless, they each featured lovely buildups with assists from Lo’eau LaBonta. It was her first profession match with a number of assists.
Gotham was severely shorthanded within the affair lacking a number of gamers to worldwide responsibility and extra to harm. Of be aware, that included beginning goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, in addition to Jess Carter, Rose Lavelle, Jenna Nighswonger, Yazmeen Ryan, Emily Sonnett and Lynn Williams.
The Present had been lacking Stine Ballisager Pedersen, Hallie Mace, Hildah Magaia and Nichelle Prince. Outdoors of Mace, nonetheless, none of these gamers have began greater than a dozen matches this season.
Given the odd timing of this match championship, Kansas Metropolis and Gotham will every return to NWSL play for another match earlier than the top of the common season. Each have secured home-field benefit within the playoff quarterfinals, that are set to start out Nov. 8.
Andonovski and LaBonta had been agency after the match saying that whereas they may take some time to rejoice, this received’t take away from the significant matches arising quickly.
“There’s one thing to it when it’s constructing the profitable mentality, you may’t win an enormous trophy for those who don’t win the small ones, whether or not it’s a Girls’s Cup after which now we have the Summer season Cup and now now we have the season,” Andonovski stated. “Profitable is a behavior and I’m glad that as a staff on this group, we began constructing this behavior, this mindset and I simply hope that it takes us to the subsequent one.”
The match additionally featured a particular debut for a traditionally younger participant. Attributable to NWSL eligibility guidelines, Gotham’s 14-year-old prospect McKenna “Mak” Williams has not been in a position to compete within the common season. Nonetheless, she did sub in in the course of the 66th minute on Friday night time to make her first look for Gotham. Williams was signed in July to a assured contract which is able to start January 1, 2025, in addition to a Nationwide Staff Alternative contract which allowed her eligibility throughout worldwide home windows. On the time of signing, she was the youngest-ever contracted participant within the league at 13 years previous.
