Angel City Football Club (ACFC) will travel to face Kansas City Current in the first round of the 2026 NWSL Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. The quarterfinal will take place at CPKC Stadium on Saturday, November 7, live on CBS and Paramount+, with kickoff scheduled for 9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET.
Last Time Out: A Record-Setting Regular-Season Finish
Angel City closed out the regular season taking down Boston Legacy FC, 4-1. Four players found the back of the net: Nealy Martin, Evelyn Shores, Sveindís Jónsdóttir, and Claire Emslie.
The result extended Angel City’s unbeaten streak to 10 consecutive matches, making ACFC just the second team in NWSL history to enter the playoffs on a 10-game unbeaten run. Jónsdóttir netted her 10th goal of the season to set a new ACFC single-season record, while Taylor Suarez made an impact off the bench with two assists.
Martin and Emslie each recorded their first goals of the season. For Martin, the milestone marked her first NWSL goal in her 115th league appearance. Emslie's goal comes less than six months after her return from maternity leave.
“I'm proud of how the team has dealt with the pressure of having to win a lot of games and the ability to be consistent,” said Interim Head Coach Leif Smerud. “Ten games now in a row without losing, to do that in any league is difficult. That consistency speaks to the core of the group: staying focused and not dropping in performance. I want to bring that to the playoffs.”
Next Up: Quarterfinal Showdown in Kansas City
Angel City travels to Kansas City to take on the fourth-seeded Current in the NWSL quarterfinal. After a midseason turnaround, ACFC climbed to fifth in the standings with 52 points, setting new club single-season records for points and wins.
Angel City finished the regular season with 54 goals, tying Kansas City for the league lead. With six players scoring at least five goals this season, ACFC has shown its scoring threat can come from anywhere. Evelyn Shores set a new club record with eight assists, while goalkeeper Angelina Anderson has put together a record-breaking campaign with 10 shutouts and 79 saves, anchoring a back line that allowed just 32 goals this season.
The Current closed the regular season on a five-match winning streak, capped by a 2-0 victory over Racing Louisville FC to secure home-field advantage in the quarterfinals. Forwards Temwa Chawinga and Haley Hopkins have each scored 12 goals this season, while Debinha became the NWSL’s all-time leading scorer with her 83rd career goal in August. Midfielder Croix Bethune also set a new NWSL single-season record with 11 assists and six game-winning assists.
The teams have already faced each other twice this season, with Angel City earning a 2-1 win in May, and the sides playing to a 1-1 draw in August.
In the Spotlight: Taylor Suarez
Taylor Suarez has become one of Angel City’s most dangerous options off the bench. Since the start of October, the rookie has two goals and two assists. She also made NWSL history earlier this season, scoring just 21 seconds after entering as a substitute against Seattle Reign FC to set the league record for the fastest goal by an in-game substitute. Her recent performances across October and November earned her NWSL Rookie of the Month honors, player of the week, and Best XI.
The 2025 NCAA National Champion joined Angel City in January after two seasons at Florida State, where she recorded eight goals and 14 assists, including a game-winning assist at CPKC Stadium. Suarez is bringing valuable championship experience into her first professional season.
“[Taylor] has incredible capacity to create separation,” said Interim Head Coach Leif Smerud. “My [technical] team has worked with Taylor a lot on the finishing, because that will be a big part for her. When she starts scoring goals, she will be very difficult to stop. She's new in the league, but she can do it. With raised expectations, she's delivering. I'm really, really happy for her.”