North Carolina Courage 1–2 Kansas City Current, NWSL Matchday 6

North Carolina Courage v Kansas City Current

North Carolina Courage9th 9 pts

M. Matsukubo 85′

1

1–2

Full time

Sat 2 May

Expected goals: North Carolina Courage 2.11, Kansas City Current 1.49

Kansas City Current10th 9 pts

C. Bethune 8′
M. Cooper 23′

2

Sat 2 May, 6:30 pm EDT First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park NWSL 2026, Matchday 6

The match story

Ashley Sanchez portrait — Courtesy North Carolina Courage

NWSL News

Ashley Sanchez returns as a scorer, and a link for others

Sanchez’s Courage season has brought more frequent shooting. Her return against Spain also showed the value of moving the ball on.

17 October 2026

Key moments

8′Goal C. Bethune (Kansas City Current)0–1
23′Goal M. Cooper (Kansas City Current)0–2
85′Goal M. Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage)1–2
90+7′Red card F. Rauch (North Carolina Courage)

Top performers

North Carolina Courage

M. MatsukuboMNCshirt 341G6SH
E. IjehNCshirt 10, came off the bench0G4SH
A. SanchezMNCshirt 20G2SH

Kansas City Current

C. BethuneMKCshirt 81G2SH
M. CooperMKCshirt 171G1SH
A. SentnorFKCshirt 210G3SH

Three per club, chosen from the match record: goals, then shots.

What it means

North Carolina Courage

9thNo change

Outside the playoff places, level on points with Angel City FC in the last playoff place, with 23 to play.

Kansas City Current

10th▲3 from 13th

Outside the playoff places, level on points with Angel City FC in the last playoff place, with 23 to play.

Season series

Matchday 6 Sat 2 May

North Carolina Courage1

Kansas City Current2

Matchday 19 Sat 29 Aug

Kansas City Current3

North Carolina Courage2

Kansas City Current took both meetings, 5–3 on aggregate.

Team stats

NC KC

Expected goals: North Carolina Courage: 2.11; Kansas City Current: 1.49
Possession: North Carolina Courage: 58%; Kansas City Current: 42%
Shots: North Carolina Courage: 17; Kansas City Current: 10
Corners: North Carolina Courage: 7; Kansas City Current: 4

NWSL table 2026

Standings →

NWSL table
#	Club	P	GD	Pts
1	Portland Thorns FC	7	+6	16
2	Washington Spirit	8	+8	15
3	San Diego Wave FC	7	+4	15
4	Gotham FC	7	+3	11
5	Seattle Reign FC	7	0	11
6	Houston Dash	6	+3	10
6	Utah Royals FC	6	+3	10
8	Angel City FC	5	+5	9
9	North Carolina Courage	7	−1	9
10	Kansas City Current	7	−7	9

After this result

By the numbers

Kansas City Current have 15 points from last 5 and are in form. 3.0 a match, against 1.8 all season. NWSL average 1.4.

Kansas City Current have 11 home wins from 15 at home, and 5 from 15 away. 2.5 points a match at home, 1.1 away.

Kansas City Current have 5 wins in a row. Last dropped points: 0–2 at San Diego Wave FC, 18 September.

Kansas City Current have scored 54 goals, the most in the NWSL. 1.8 a match. NWSL average 1.4.

The match on the pitch

North Carolina Courage: 58% possession; 115 possessions; 13% ended in a shot; 34% reached the box; 5.4 actions each
Kansas City Current: 42% possession; 116 possessions; 6% ended in a shot; 16% reached the box; 4.0 actions each

Where each team won the ball

North Carolina Courage

Kansas City Current

Where each possession began, both teams attacking right. North Carolina Courage started 17% of their possessions in the final third, Kansas City Current 9%.

Where the shots came from

North Carolina CourageKansas City Current

North Carolina Courage attack right, Kansas City Current left. A larger ringed dot is a goal. Own goals are not shots.

How each team moved the ball

North Carolina Courage

Kansas City Current

Passes between 20 zones, both teams attacking right. Forward moves in the team colour, backward moves dark, sideways moves pale; line weight is the share of the team’s passes.

How long possessions ran

North Carolina CourageKansas City Current

Share of possessions by number of actions.

Longer possessions shot more

North Carolina CourageKansas City Current

Of the possessions with each number of actions, the share that produced a shot. A gap marks too few possessions to rate.

Where play slowed down

North Carolina CourageKansas City Current

Mean seconds between one action and the next in the same possession, by where the action happened.

Every recorded action

Observed match events

Every action recorded in this match, where it happened: what was seen on the pitch, not a simulated path. 1,769 events in the record.

Period Minute 99 Only the 5 minutes up to it

North Carolina Courage attack right, Kansas City Current left. Passes are arrows to where they ended, dashed when not completed; a ringed start is a restart. A dot is a shot, a larger ringed dot a goal; a diamond is a take-on, a square a keeper action. Showing the whole match.

Choose an action on the pitch or in the list to see everything recorded about it.

84 events shown.

Events shown, in recorded order
Time	Player	Team
0:09	C. Okafor	North Carolina Courage
1:53	M. Cooper	Kansas City Current
2:48	C. Bethune	Kansas City Current
3:39	A. Sentnor	Kansas City Current
4:03	K. Sharples	Kansas City Current
4:36	K. Sheridan	North Carolina Courage
5:36	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
5:39	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
7:19	L. LaBonta	Kansas City Current
7:35	C. Bethune	Kansas City Current
9:08	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
9:44	Lorena	Kansas City Current
10:17	Lorena	Kansas City Current
10:51	R. Rodríguez	Kansas City Current
10:54	R. Rodríguez	Kansas City Current
12:42	C. Okafor	North Carolina Courage
17:28	M. Matsukubo	North Carolina Courage
18:58	C. Bethune	Kansas City Current
19:03	M. Matsukubo	North Carolina Courage
19:05	Lorena	Kansas City Current

Page 1 of 5

Lineups

North Carolina CourageFormation 4-1-4-1

North Carolina Courage, 4-1-4-1, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 1 K. Sheridan. Line 1: 13 R. Williams, 18 U. Shiragaki, 12 N. Staude, 17 D. Weatherholt. Line 2: 20 S. Koyama. Line 3: 8 C. Okafor, 16 R. Jackson, 34 M. Matsukubo, 2 A. Sanchez. Line 4: 33 H. Betfort.

North Carolina Courage lineup: 11 starters, then 4 substitutes who came on, then the team, with minutes, goals, assists and expected goals for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG
1	K. Sheridan	90	0	0	0.00
13	R. Williams	90	0	0	0.04
17	D. Weatherholt, off at 81′	81	0	0	0.00
20	S. Koyama	90	0	0	0.00
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0	0	0.00
12	N. Staude	90	0	0	0.00
8	C. Okafor, off at 55′	55	0	0	0.08
16	R. Jackson, off at 90+1′	90	0	0	0.10
33	H. Betfort, off at 55′	55	0	0	0.00
34	M. Matsukubo	90	1	0	1.23
2	A. Sanchez	90	0	0	0.10
Substitutes
7	L. Thompson, on at 55′	35	0	0	0.02
10	E. Ijeh, on at 55′	35	0	0	1.00
11	F. Rauch, on at 81′	9	0	0	0.00
35	A. Schlegel, on at 90+1′	1	0	0	0.00
Team			1	0	2.58

Unused: M. White, S. Schmidt, C. Brooks, I. Younce, C. Wickenheiser

All player stats

North Carolina Courage lineup: 10 outfield starters, then 9 substitutes, then the team, with every figure for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG	Sh	SOT	CC	Pass %	Tkl	Int
13	R. Williams	90	0	0	0.04	1	0	4	84%	2	0
17	D. Weatherholt, off at 81′	81	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	75%	1	0
20	S. Koyama	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	2	82%	1	1
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	82%	0	1
12	N. Staude	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	84%	1	2
8	C. Okafor, off at 55′	55	0	0	0.08	1	0	0	85%	1	0
16	R. Jackson, off at 90+1′	90	0	0	0.10	2	1	2	77%	1	1
33	H. Betfort, off at 55′	55	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	100%	0	0
34	M. Matsukubo	90	1	0	1.23	6	1	1	62%	1	0
2	A. Sanchez	90	0	0	0.10	2	0	1	78%	1	0
Substitutes
99	M. White	–
3	S. Schmidt	–
5	C. Brooks	–
6	I. Younce	–
7	L. Thompson, on at 55′	35	0	0	0.02	1	0	1	79%	0	0
10	E. Ijeh, on at 55′	35	0	0	1.00	4	2	1	100%	0	0
11	F. Rauch, on at 81′	9	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	58%	0	0
14	C. Wickenheiser	–
35	A. Schlegel, on at 90+1′	1	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	50%	0	0
Team			1	0	2.58	17	4	12	78%	9	5

North Carolina Courage goalkeeper
#	Goalkeeper	Min	Saves	SOT faced	Save %	GA	Claims
1	K. Sheridan	90	0	2	0%	2	0

Kansas City CurrentFormation 4-2-3-1

Kansas City Current, 4-2-3-1, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 23 Lorena. Line 1: 2 L. Rouse, 7 E. Ball, 27 K. Sharples, 18 I. Rodriguez. Line 2: 10 L. LaBonta, 11 R. Rodríguez. Line 3: 17 M. Cooper, 8 C. Bethune, 6 T. Chawinga. Line 4: 21 A. Sentnor.

Kansas City Current lineup: 11 starters, then 4 substitutes who came on, then the team, with minutes, goals, assists and expected goals for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG
23	Lorena	90	0	0	0.00
2	L. Rouse	90	0	0	0.00
18	I. Rodriguez	90	0	0	0.04
11	R. Rodríguez, off at 79′	79	0	0	0.00
7	E. Ball	90	0	0	0.00
27	K. Sharples	90	0	0	0.00
17	M. Cooper, off at 86′	86	1	0	0.19
10	L. LaBonta	90	0	0	0.03
21	A. Sentnor	90	0	0	0.46
8	C. Bethune, off at 79′	79	1	1	0.21
6	T. Chawinga, off at 63′	63	0	0	1.19
Substitutes
5	E. Bravo-Young, on at 86′	4	0	0	0.00
22	B. Feist, on at 79′	11	0	0	0.00
13	H. Hopkins, on at 63′	27	0	0	0.00
66	K. Carusa, on at 79′	11	0	0	0.00
Team			2	1	2.12

Unused: M. Jordan, A. White, G. Robinson, K. Scott, P. Hocking

All player stats

Kansas City Current lineup: 10 outfield starters, then 9 substitutes, then the team, with every figure for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG	Sh	SOT	CC	Pass %	Tkl	Int
2	L. Rouse	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	83%	3	2
18	I. Rodriguez	90	0	0	0.04	1	0	0	61%	2	0
11	R. Rodríguez, off at 79′	79	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	69%	1	3
7	E. Ball	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	75%	0	4
27	K. Sharples	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	89%	2	2
17	M. Cooper, off at 86′	86	1	0	0.19	1	1	0	63%	1	1
10	L. LaBonta	90	0	0	0.03	1	0	1	80%	0	1
21	A. Sentnor	90	0	0	0.46	3	0	2	71%	2	0
8	C. Bethune, off at 79′	79	1	1	0.21	2	1	2	72%	2	0
6	T. Chawinga, off at 63′	63	0	0	1.19	2	0	0	53%	1	0
Substitutes
1	M. Jordan	–
3	A. White	–
5	E. Bravo-Young, on at 86′	4	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	100%	0	0
22	B. Feist, on at 79′	11	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	100%	0	1
13	H. Hopkins, on at 63′	27	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	77%	0	0
24	G. Robinson	–
31	K. Scott	–
55	P. Hocking	–
66	K. Carusa, on at 79′	11	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	50%	0	0
Team			2	1	2.12	10	2	5	74%	14	14