Gotham FC vs Kansas City Current preview: Playoff rematch for place in finals

One more win is all NJ/NY Gotham FC needs to make it to their third NWSL Championship game in four years. They will take on the Kansas City Current at Icahn Stadium due to field quality issues at their normal stadium, Sports Illustrated Stadium.

This will be Gotham FC's third-ever match at Icahn Stadium and their second this season. They managed a win in a 3-2 thriller over Seattle Reign FC back in July that saw the NJ/NY side score all three of their goals after the 80th minute, including two goals in second-half stoppage time, to earn the victory after being down 2-0 at halftime.

As mentioned, this is a rematch of last season's playoff quarterfinals, where the eighth-seeded Gotham handed the number one seed Current their second-ever loss at CPKC Stadium, the stadium they've called home since the beginning of the 2024 season. In addition, this will be the fourth meeting between the teams in 2026 and at the fourth venue. They split their regular-season series, with both teams winning their respective home matches, while Gotham got the upper hand in the Challenge Cup back in June in Columbus.

Kansas City historically has the upper hand in the all-time series between the two clubs, with seven wins to the Bats' three, with five draws thrown in as well. Despite this, recent history actually favors Gotham FC, with all three of their victories coming in the last four matchups between the two sides. Here is a preview of the semifinals.

Gotham FC vs Kansas City Current preview

Date

The game will take place on Sunday, November 15.

Time

The fixture is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM ET.

Location

The match will be played at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island in New York, New York.

How to watch

The game will be broadcast on ABC and streamed on ESPN Unlimited.

Weather

It will be a much colder day on Randall's Island than last week in New Jersey. Temperatures will be in the high 40s throughout the game, with winds over 10 mph and gusts reaching 20 mph. It will be pretty cloudy to begin with before clearing up as sunset approaches at 4:37 PM.

Injury report

The playoff semifinals will see the following players unavailable: Bruninha (knee - SEI), Jordynn Dudley (foot - SEI), Kayla Duran (knee - SEI), Emily Sonnett (knee - SEI)

Tess Boade (hamstring), Jaelin Howell (ankle), and Rose Lavelle (neck) are all listed as questionable.

Players to watch

Gotham FC fans should watch Jaedyn Shaw. She has been a player who has constantly made her presence known in big games since joining the club. From scoring in her debut, to scoring in last year's playoff quarterfinal and semifinal games, to forcing the own goal that ultimately won them last week's game, Shaw has come up big when Gotham has needed her. Add to that her having the best season of her career with 12 goals and six assists in 29 matches in all competitions in 2026 and this game again lines up nicely for her to have another big-time moment on Sunday.

As always with the Current, it's a pick-your-poison scenario. Is it two-time MVP Temwa Chawinga? NWSL's single-season assist record holder, Croix Bethune? USWNT stalwart and big-game player Michelle Cooper? Actually, it's none of them. Fans should watch Haley Hopkins, who had a breakout season at 27 years old, scoring 12 goals, more than she had in her previous three seasons combined. A real box presence, nine of her 12 goals have come within 10 yards of goal. At 5'10", Hopkins will be a handful for Gotham's defenders in this match.

Match prediction

Both teams enter this match in good form. The Bats have one loss in their last eight matches between the regular season and playoffs, while Kansas City is currently on a six-match winning streak. Many give KC the edge in this one given their current winning streak as well as how convincing they have looked in those games. One thing to keep in mind, though, is how poor the Current have been away from home this season, with five wins, one draw, and nine losses in 15 matches.

Another thing to keep in mind is how the Current was affected by Friday's nationwide flight ground stoppage. Originally, they had planned to travel to the NYC area on Friday, but were forced to spend an extra day at home, training in the morning before making the trip on Saturday night.

Athletes are creatures of habit, and having a routine changed at the last minute will have an effect. With all of that in mind, the prediction is a 2-1 victory for Gotham FC, with goals from Shaw and Rose Lavelle, while Hopkins gets the one and only goal for the visitors.

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