When two of the NWSL’s highest-scoring teams clash in a playoff game, you just know it’s gonna be fireworks, right? The Kansas City Current are hosting Angel City FC this Saturday at 12 p.m. ET on CBS, and both these squads finished the regular season with a massive 54 goals apiece. They’re peaking at the perfect time as the postseason kicks off, and somebody’s season is about to get a whole lot shorter.
Unbeaten Streaks Collide in a Quarterfinal Thriller
This matchup is set to be an absolute battle of wills and hot streaks. Kansas City is playing on their home turf at CPKC Stadium, a place visiting teams absolutely dread. Why? Because the Current boasts an insane 32-game home unbeaten streak that dates all the way back to 2024. That’s a fortress, people! But don’t sleep on Angel City. They’re back in the playoffs for the first time since 2023, riding a scorching 10-game unbeaten run themselves, and the source says they’re “equally relentless on the road.” Something’s gotta give when these two forces meet. Their regular season meetings were tight, too: Angel City snagged a 2-1 win at BMO Stadium in May, and the rematch in August ended in a 1-1 draw in Kansas City. Now, with the stakes as high as they get, the winner is punching their ticket straight to the semifinals.
Kansas City’s Incredible Turnaround: From Zero to Hero
Talk about a glow-up! The Kansas City Current, the 2025 NWSL Shield winners, had a nightmare start to their 2026 season. After getting bounced out of the 2025 playoffs in the very first round, Vlatko Andonovski moved to an executive role, and Chris Armas was brought in as the new head coach. Then, disaster struck: two-time Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga started the 2026 season on the injury report, and the club saw key players like Bia Zaneratto and Claire Hutton depart. The early results were brutal, with zero wins in their first four games. Players looked like they weren’t gelling, sometimes even running into each other, and the team was closer to the bottom of the league table than the playoff line. People were seriously questioning Armas, his limited knowledge of the NWSL and women’s pro soccer, and if injuries were keeping him from rolling out a full lineup.
But then, things shifted. The spring brought a new energy, and more importantly, the return of Chawinga. Midfielder Croix Bethune, who was acquired in preseason, found her rhythm big time, setting an NWSL single-season record with 11 assists, including six game-winning assists. Forward Haley Hopkins, traded to the club in 2025, had a breakout season, co-leading the team with Chawinga with 12 goals this year. That epic 54-goal haul? It was split across 13 different players, showing incredible depth. Armas himself said, “I’d say that what’s clear is that we’ve just come together. Is it the right time? It’s just an important time of year to have most of your players healthy. We’re at a good fitness level. The team has been together all year, but you have to go through things sometimes to, you know, see your best version. And sometimes it’s adversity. And when does that come? I’ve always said that oftentimes teams experience th…” You can feel the confidence in that.
This Saturday, prepare for an absolute war on the pitch. These two high-octane offenses, both riding incredible momentum, are about to throw down for a spot in the semifinals. You do not want to miss this!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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