Penalty decision a factor in Angel City’s loss to Kansas City

It was a cruel end to a hard fought match and with it a rewarding season for Angel City FC.

Making its second trip to the NWSL Playoffs in franchise history, fifth-seeded Angel City battled to a 90-minute standstill with the Kansas City Current. However, three minutes into overtime, Angel City caught a bad break, as a foul call inside the penalty area led to a Kansas City goal from the penalty spot, and that enabled the Current to squeak out 1-0 quarterfinal win at CPKC Stadium.

It all started in the 93rd minute. Kansas City’s Izzy Rodriguez sent a corner kick into the penalty area, the ball easily sailed over keeper Angelina Anderson’s clearance attempt, though Evelyn Shores was able to send the ball out of the penalty area. However, Alexandra Billeter whistled Anderson for a foul for pushing down Kayla Sharples inside the penalty area, thus awarding the Current the penalty. While the push was not in question, what is up for debate was whether Sharples could’ve truly impacted the play, as the ball was high enough that no player would’ve been able to truly make an impact. Still, the call stood, and three minutes after the initial call, Michelle Cooper converted the penalty, going to her left, even as Anderson guessed right, but Cooper put enough pace on the shot to get it past Anderson, breaking the deadlock in Kansas City’s favor.

Kansas City had a chance to double its lead towards the end of the first overtime, as Temwa Chawinga dribbled past the halfway line all the way into the penalty area, played a ball to unmakred Debinha inside the penalty area, but Debinha’s touch was a bad one, and the ball trickled over the end line, which enabled Angel City to dodge a bullet there. Angel City finally got some chances in the overtime with its season on the line. Sveindis Jonsdottir had the first chance just seconds into the second overtime, as Ary Borges sent a long ball forward, Jonsdottir beat Sharples to the ball, touched into the penalty area, rounded keeper Lorena, but the combination of the Kansas City defense recovering and Lorena making herself big caused Jonsdottir to take a shot in tight space, and the shot hit the side netting. Jonsdottir had one more chance i the 120th minute, but a last-minute volley inside the penalty area sailed over goal.

The penalty decision overshadowed what was an intense and competitive match. Kansas City had its first great look at an opening goal in the 19th minute, as Haley Hopkins curled a ball into the penalty area, Chawing and Cooper ran to the ball, Chawinga won the race and sent a header at goal, but Anderson easily made the save. Ary Borges had Angel City’s two best chances in the first 45 minutes, the first coming in the 25th minute, as she curled a dangerous right-footed volley at goal, but Lorena managed to get her right hand on the ball and parried it over goal, and Borges’ second attempt came just before halftime, as she fired a right-footed shot inside the penalty area, but pulled the shot wide right.

Angel City had to withstand a Kansas City onslaught in the second half. Croix Bethune led the Current’s offensive attack throughout the second half, getting four great chances, the first coming two minutes into the half, as she dribbled forward, fired a shot from about 26 yard out, but Anderson made the save, the second in the 50th minute when a right footed shot just outside the penalty area hit the side netting, the third being a free kick in t he 60th minute that was collected by Anderson and the last being in the 80th minute, as she received a ball from Hopkins, touched into the penalty area, fired a left-footed shot towards the far post, but Anderson dived and stopped the ball. Angel City had one chance to steal the win in stoppage time, as Jonsdottir threw an inbounds pass into the penalty area, Emily Sams headed a ball down onto the pitch, which set up Maiara Niehues for a shot, aiming for the far post where she had a sightline and that spot was wide open, but Nieheus’ attempt just missed the back post.