KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The excitement is building as the Kansas City Current is just one day away from heading to Washington D.C. to play in its first ever NWSL Championship.
"I am super stoked, like I said, this is my first time in the playoffs professionally and why not go all the way to the final," said Lo'eau LaBonta, midfielder with the KC Current. "You know, from last place last year to now the final, let's go."
Last season, the Current finished with just three wins and will now face the Portland Thorns for the title on Saturday.
"The journey we've been on — we've had our ups and downs, but we find ourselves here because of the work we've done," said Matt Potter, head coach for the KC Current. "And that credit goes to the players, they're the ones doing it every day. We're proud of them to get to this point and hopefully there's one more to come."
Fans have been with the club every step of the way, and that will remain the same this weekend. Blue Crew members have booked their flights and plan to pack the house for the championship.
"They're always with us every step of the way, and we always send reminders to the group to let them know that, because that's an important part of who we are," Potter said.
As the team is focused on the match, the season accomplishments haven't quite hit the players yet.
"I'm so excited, I don't even know if it's set in. As I was saying earlier, I'm experiencing everything for the first time and this team is making it super fun to experience all this stuff," said Izzy Rodriguez, a defender with the KC Current. "The highs, the lows, and now that we're at the end. It's almost like, are we really at the end, but at least we have a big game at the end and I'm really excited and I think it's going to be a really good matchup."
The Current and Thorns last met in September. That match ended in a 1-1 draw.
"I mean, it's going to be a big game," LaBonta said. "Not just because it's a final, but because it's Portland. I think the last time we played them, we played about five games in five days, and we gave them a run for their money, so I think it's going to be a pretty even matchup."
The Current will practice on Wednesday morning before leaving for Washington D.C.
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