Picture Copyright: Maria Lysaker for Imagn Pictures
With one other heroic efficiency from Golden Boot chief Temwa Chawinga, the Kansas Metropolis Present defeated NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 Friday evening to win their second trophy of the season.
This match was the finale of the inaugural NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer time Cup regardless of its fall date. The Present additionally gained The Ladies’s Cup on their dwelling turf through the Olympic break. Gotham gained a unique version of The Ladies’s Cup this March.
“I’m very blissful firstly,” Kansas Metropolis coach Vlatko Andonovski stated. “We fought for this trophy onerous in the summertime, performed some actually good groups, performed semifinal and an important workforce within the closing. So general, an important achievement by our workforce and an excellent event 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 known as again as offside if the event utilized VAR. Regardless, they each featured stunning 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 obligation 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 have been lacking Stine Ballisager Pedersen, Hallie Mace, Hildah Magaia and Nichelle Prince. Exterior of Mace, nevertheless, none of these gamers have began greater than a dozen matches this season.
Given the odd timing of this event championship, Kansas Metropolis and Gotham will every return to NWSL play for yet one more match earlier than the tip of the common season. Each have secured home-field benefit within the playoff quarterfinals, that are set to begin Nov. 8.
Andonovski and LaBonta have been agency after the match saying that whereas they’ll take a while to have a good time, this gained’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 a giant trophy in the event you don’t win the small ones, whether or not it’s a Ladies’s Cup after which we’ve the Summer time Cup and now we’ve the season,” Andonovski stated. “Profitable is a behavior and I’m glad that as a workforce on this group, we began constructing this behavior, this mindset and I simply hope that it takes us to the following one.”
The match additionally featured a particular debut for a traditionally younger participant. Resulting from 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 through the 66th minute on Friday evening to make her first look for Gotham. Williams was signed in July to a assured contract which can start January 1, 2025, in addition to a Nationwide Workforce Substitute 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.
