North Carolina tops Kansas City, will play Washington in NWSL Challenge Cup final
The North Carolina Courage downed hosts Kansas City Current 2-1 on Saturday to advance to the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup final.
Brazilian striker Debinha coverted a penalty kick to open the scoring in the 19th minute and grab her fifth goal of the tournament.
Diana Ordonez doubled North Carolina’s lead in the 36th minute before Kristen Hamilton got one back for Kansas City in the 79th minute.
Well wasn’t that quite the thriller?!<a href=”https://twitter.com/AubreyBledsoe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@AubreyBledsoe</a> ➡️ big time save = big time celly 🥳 GO OFF! <a href=”https://twitter.com/WashSpirit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@WashSpirit</a> | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/OneSpirit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#OneSpirit</a> <a href=”https://t.co/OWbCB44uS2″>pic.twitter.com/OWbCB44uS2</a>
—@NWSL
The Washington Spirit edged hosts OL Reign 9-8 in penalty shootout action in the other semifinal after a 0-0 draw stood in regulation.
Qualified to the knockout round as the best out of three conference runner-ups, they’ll visit the Courage on Sunday.
KEROLIN ➡️ ORDONEZ<a href=”https://twitter.com/kerolinnicolii?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@kerolinnicolii</a> weaving her way through the <a href=”https://twitter.com/thekccurrent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@thekccurrent</a> defense 👀<a href=”https://twitter.com/TheNCCourage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@TheNCCourage</a> | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CourageUnitesUs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#CourageUnitesUs</a> <a href=”https://t.co/YWgrEikJEI”>pic.twitter.com/YWgrEikJEI</a>
—@NWSL
Both teams made it to the final for the first time in the history of the three-year-old competition, created in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canada’s Quinn didn’t feature for OL Reign due to a knock to their right leg.
Fellow Canadian midfielder Desiree Scott played the full match for the Current, while her teammate Victoria Pickett was substituted in the 71st minute.
Goalkeeper Devon Kerr, who served as an substitute for the Spirit in the semifinal, will be the only Canadian athlete in the competition’s title game on Sunday.
