Current Kansas City forward and 2024 NWSL Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga will be available for Sunday’s high-profile semifinal against Orlando Pride, but current head coach Vlatko Andonovski says he is not sure if he will play.
“He was able to finish all the training today,” Andonovski told reporters Friday. “Obviously, all the measurements are now to see how everything is. So, yes, he will be available. It’s just a question, ‘How long will it take?'”
Chawinga missed Kansas City’s regular season finale on Nov. 3 with a knee injury and is questionable leading up to the team’s Nov. 10 quarterfinal against the North Carolina Courage. He started and played the full 90 minutes while scoring the lone goal of the game to help Kansas City advance to the semifinals.
After the match, Andonovski said his opponent had “targeted” Chawinga. The forward, who broke the NWSL single-season record with 20 goals this year, was hit by fouls and taunts from Courage forward Bianca St-Georges that led Kansas City defender Ellie Wheeler to push St-Georges behind.
Next up for No. 4 seed Kansas City is a trip to No. 1 seed Orlando on Saturday (3 p.m. ET, ABC). On the line is a berth in the finals, which will be hosted at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City on November 23.
Orlando is undefeated at home all season and beat the Chicago Red Stars 4-1 last week in the quarterfinals.
The Pride defeated Kansas City 2-1 in July in a battle of undefeated teams. Orlando won the match despite playing the entire second half down players after Carrie Lawrence’s ejection before the break, and captain Marta celebrated vehemently after the final whistle.
Kansas City forward Michelle Cooper later posted on her Instagram that night, “We will remember his actions after the cameras are off.”
The two teams met again in Orlando in September and played to a scoreless draw.
Orlando defender Kylie Strom said Friday that there is a rivalry between the two teams.
“Every time we get ready to play them, it feels like there’s a different feeling, a different vibe in the locker room, and extra motivation and extra focus for whatever reason,” Strom said. “I think it’s just a credit to both teams, a credit to them. They are quality opponents that we have to lock in. So, it will be fun. I think the two times we played, there was a bit of drama, so I’m sure this game is not less than that.”
Proud forward Barbra Banda was second in the league in scoring with 13 goals in the regular season. Banda and Chawinga were locked in a tight race for the Golden Boot with Chawinga scoring in seven of the eight games after the Olympic break, while Banda scored just once. Banda returned to his goal-scoring ways last week, however, tallying a brace against Chicago.
Both teams have talent beyond their primary scoring threats. Orlando is the No. 1 seed and Shield champion after going undefeated in its first 23 games of the year and setting a new league record for points (60) in a season. Kansas City broke the single-season record for goals (57) and hasn’t lost a game since September 1st.
“One of the most important things for us is that we have to defend well as a unit,” Andonovski said. “They are a very good team, they are very organized. If we give them a little space, they will exploit it.”
Kansas City will play for the right to play in the finals on home soil later this month, with the NWSL determining the location of the championship months in advance. Orlando, however, hopes to use the home form.
“That’s all,” Strom said. “The Inter&Co stadium has become a fortress for us. The fans have really shown up this year and it’s a lot of fun to play in. This is a big advantage.”
The Washington Spirit and defending NJ/NY league champion Gotham FC face off in the other semifinal on Saturday, a matchup of the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively. All four of the top seeds advanced from the true quarterfinal playoff rounds in NWSL history.
Spirit head coach Jonatan Giraldez said his team needed to play a “perfect game” to win, while his counterpart Juan Carlos Amoros said there was no added pressure as the defending champions.
“I think the pressure is on us,” the Gotham FC coach said. “I think we want to win. It hasn’t changed. Every time we go on the football field, we want to show – to show that we are the best team.”
