Could KC Current star Temwa Chawinga return for NWSL playoff opener? What we know
The Kansas City Current is gearing up for the first home playoff match in club history on Saturday when it hosts the North Carolina Courage in the quarterfinal round of the National Women’s Soccer League Playoffs. The club will do so with injury concerns swirling over two of the team’s key players: Bia Zaneratto and Temwa Chawinga.
Temwa Chawinga missed the team’s final game of the 2024 regular season in Chicago with a knee injury that head coach Vlatko Andonovski characterized as day-to-day. Chawinga’s absence did not matter on the scoreboard on Sunday, nor did it keep Chawinga from running away with the Golden Boot, the NWSL’s top scorer award. Her 20 goals in 2024 cleared second place Barbra Banda by seven.
If Chawinga cannot not play, it would undoubtedly be a hit to the Current’s chances of making a run to the final, which will be hosted at CPKC Stadium on November 23.
However, Andonovski feels the team’s 3-1 win over the Red Stars on Sunday shows the club is “a lot more than just Temwa.” “Obviously, Temwa is an exceptional player, and we love her, and it’s going to be great to have her back for the next game, but this team is a lot more than that,” Andonovski said — hinting at a positive outlook for her return on Saturday. But he continued to praise the team’s performance even in her absence.
“We saw with the performance that Michelle (Cooper) had, Nichelle Prince, (Debinha), and Lo (LaBonta) …” Andonovski said. “I think we showed that the success that this team has enjoyed this season is a team success, and it’s not just the 20 goals that Temwa scored.” When asked directly about Chawinga’s availability Wednesday, Andonovski gave reporters the same injury categorization of “day-to-day” ahead of Saturday’s playoff game. “She’s progressing well,” Andonovski said. “Hopefully, we have more answers closer to the game.” Chawinga participated without restriction during the portion of Wednesday’s training session open to reporters. The news for Zaneratto is not as hopeful.
During Wednesday’s talk with reporters, Andonovski flat-out ruled her out for Saturday. She was not in the open portion of training on Wednesday. The star striker has not appeared for the club since the Current’s 2-0 win over Racing Louisville on October 5. She is out with an unspecified foot injury. Zaneratto’s foot issues have lingered on and off all season.
She previously played through plantar fasciitis. She played just one game in May before breaking her foot in a 2-0 win over Houston on June 28. She returned to action for the first time on September 7 and gradually grew into her first start since June in the match against Louisville. Zaneratto has five goals and four assists in 16 appearances this season.
Despite her absences, her goals-per-90 rate still ranked in the top 10 in the NWSL. She led the league in expected assisted goals per 90 minutes, a projection of how many goals a player would typically create given their overall performance. Her availability for the remainder of the postseason is certainly now in doubt. The Current and North Carolina Courage kick off from CPKC Stadium at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The match will be broadcast on CBS
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