Ladies First: Challenge Cup 2023 SF Kansas City Current North Carolina Courage

Demie Finale

6 septembre 2023

ENG

Women.NWSL.2023.OLKansas.North.Carolina.ENG.twb22.mp4

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The North Carolina Courage are off to their second NWSL Challenge Cup final in as many years thanks to a goal from Brianna Pinto in stoppage time, which allowed them to pick up a 1-0 win at the Kansas City Current. The Courage will play in the final against Racing Louisville, who beat the OL Reign 1-0 in the other semifinal. Both teams opted to play their best teams and included Women's World Cup players who missed group stage fixtures. That strategy paid off for the Courage, who settled into a rhythm early on. They had 68.2% of possession and recorded five shots during the first half, one of the best ones coming from 19-year-old new signing Manaka Matsukubo in the 15th minute. Only two were on target, though, and the team only racked up an expected goals tally of 0.3 going into the half. The Current, by contrast, failed to take a single shot during the first half. The second half got off slower, but the Current eventually found their feet going forward and registered their first shot in the 58th minute through Alexa Spaanstra. The two sides slowly but surely traded shots and inched closer to goal, perhaps no closer than the Current were in the 81st minute when a handful of players were in the box. A scramble in the penalty area meant the Courage had enough defenders on the goal line.