Katie Stengel scored the winning goal and helped to clinch a shock 2-1 victory for NJ/NY Gotham FC over the top-seeded Kansas City Current in the quarter-finals of the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs on Sunday.

The Current were the top seed in the playoffs, having finished first in the NWSL regular season standings with a league record 65 points. Gotham finished eighth with 36 points and were the lowest seed in the postseason. It is just the second time a visiting team has defeated the Current at CPKC Stadium, which was opened in 2024. The loss ends an 18-match unbeaten streak at home for the Current.

After the match finished 1-1 in normal time, Stengel slammed home the winning goal in the 121st minute. With the match seemingly heading for a penalty shootout, Gotham hit a long free kick from the halfway line towards the box. Jaedyn Shaw flicked it on and Stengel reacted quickest to hit a shot off the crossbar and into the net from six yards out.

The goal silenced the 11,500 fans at a sold out CPKC Stadium, the home of the Current.

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Shaw had given Gotham a 1-0 lead in the 68th minute. After Current defender Kayla Sharples overcommitted on a challenge, Shaw swiveled away, dribbled into the box, and finished with a low shot.

With just seconds left of normal time, Ellie Wheeler popped up on the edge of the box to score a breathtaking equalizer for Current and make it 1-1 in the sixth minute of second half stoppage time.

In extra time, Kansas City cranked up the pressure to take a lead and finish the game but couldn’t find a way through Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. Current forward Bia Zaneratto hit high shot to the top left corner in the 104th minute and Berger balletically tipped the ball over the bar.

The No 8 seed Gotham will now face the No 4 seed Orlando Pride in the semi-finals.

Washington Spirit prevail on penalties against Racing Louisville

Aubrey Kingsbury was mobbed by teammates after her winning performance in the shootout. Photograph: Hannah Foslien/NWSL/Getty Images

Aubrey Kingsbury saved two shots in a penalty shootout and the Washington Spirit overcame Racing Louisville in the quarter-finals of the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs on Saturday.

The match finished 1-1 in regulation, with Spirit winning the shootout 3-1.

Kingsbury first denied Marisa DiGrande to her right with Racing’s third penalty attempt, before then sealing the shootout victory by stopping Ary Borges’s shot sent to the left corner of the Spirit goal.

The Spirit goalkeeper’s second save meant Racing missed three consecutive penalty kicks after Bethany Balcer successfully converted Louisville’s opening kick of the shootout. Ellie Jean hit the crossbar with Racing’s second effort.

All three of Spirit’s penalty takers, Rebeca Bernal, Esme Morgan, and Hal Hershfelt, converted in the shootout.

Early on, the Spirit thought they had taken a 1-0 lead when Rosemounde Kouassi curled in a shot in from outside the box in the 17th minute. However, after a VAR review, the goal was disallowed for an offside on Leicy Santos in the phase before the shot.

The first half was played almost entirely in Racing’s half, with the visitors soaking up lots of pressure. Scoreless at the break, the Spirit were unable to turn their 75% possession share into significant chances.

As the second half wore on, Kouassi wafted in a cross from the right wing and Gift Monday leapt highest to make it 1-0 to the Spirit in the 73rd minute much to the delight of the sold out crowd of 19,215 fans at Audi Field.

Right before the end of normal time, substitute Kayla Fischer scored Racing’s equalizer in the second minute of second half stoppage time. Fischer latched on to a long pass and clipped the ball beyond Kingsbury with a hopeful touch.

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The match finished 1-1 at the end of normal time and headed to a 30-minute extra time period. Both sides looked fatigued in extra time and couldn’t find a winning goal.

The shootout victory was reminiscent of last year’s NWSL playoff semi-final that saw Kingsbury save three penalties in a shootout victory over NJ/NY Gotham FC, also at Audi Field.

Runners-up in 2016 and 2024, the Spirit are looking to reach their fourth NWSL Championship Final. Washington lifted its only Championship title in 2021.

The No 2 seed Spirit will meet either the No 3 seed Portland Thorns or the No 6 seed San Diego Wave in next weekend’s semi-finals.

Defending champions Orlando Pride dispatch Seattle Reign

Marta sealed the result with a lung-busting run in the dying moments to earn a penalty kick. Photograph: Alex Menendez/NWSL/Getty Images

Orlando Pride scored a goal in each half for a 2-0 win over the Seattle Reign in the quarter-finals of the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs on Friday night.

Haley McCutcheon slotted the ball into the back of the net from just inside the box to make it 1-0 in the 21st minute after an exchange of passes on the right wing between Marta and Julia Doyle.

It was McCutcheon’s fourth goal of the season, and the second consecutive year she has scored for Orlando in the playoff quarter-finals.

The Reign piled on the pressure in the second half but couldn’t find a way through the Pride’s sturdy defense.

Seattle’s biggest chance of the night fell to Maddie Mercado in the 76th minute. But her close-range shot was denied by the outstretched leg of Anna Moorhouse, who finished with eight saves.

Marta dribbled half the length of the pitch and was then fouled by Sam Meza in the box in second half stoppage time. Luana converted the penalty to make it 2-0 with practically the final kick of the game.

It was Luana’s first NWSL goal and her first since fully recovering from Hodgkin’s lymphoma earlier this year.