East Wake Times

The North Carolina Courage's 2024 season concluded with a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Kansas City Current in the NWSL Quarterfinals at CPKC Stadium. The match, held on Saturday afternoon, marked the end of a campaign where the Courage reached the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons.

Kansas City secured an early lead when Temwa Chawinga scored in the eighth minute. A sequence of events following a save by Casey Murphy saw Kaleigh Kurtz block a rebound before Chawinga's decisive tap-in put Kansas City ahead.

Despite Kansas City's early dominance, taking eight of the first nine shots, North Carolina gained momentum as the match progressed. They ultimately outshot their opponents 13-12 and maintained 65% possession with an 85% passing accuracy rate. However, they were unable to find an equalizer.

North Carolina's attempts included a promising cross from Kerolin to Aline Gomes in the 25th minute that narrowly missed its target. Further efforts from Manaka Matsukubo and Ashley Sanchez also failed to convert into goals due to Kansas City's strong defensive play.

Kaleigh Kurtz made a crucial defensive stop early in the second half, preventing another potential goal from Chawinga. Despite continuous pressure and several near-misses, including shots from Narumi Miura and Manaka Matsukubo later in the game, North Carolina could not break through Kansas City's defense.

As time expired, North Carolina continued their pursuit for an equalizing goal but was unable to create any significant threats during stoppage time.