The Kansas City Current are headed to the NWSL final after a late Haley Hopkins goal saw them past defending champions Gotham FC with a 2-1 win on Sunday.

Croix Bethune had put Chris' Current side in front with a brilliant free kick in the 20th minute, but Gotham, who finished the playoffs without a single shot on goal, equalized in the second half thanks to a Laney Rouse own goal by the Current.

With the game looking like it was headed to extra time, Hopkins swooped in and scored the decisive goal -- her eighth in the last seven games -- to put the Current ahead for good.

The Current will face the Washington Spirit, who are back in the final for the third year in a row after beating the Utah Royals on Saturday. The Spirit lost to Gotham in the 2025 final and the Orlando Pride in 2024.

The buildup to the game was partially overshadowed by venue issues for the host after Gotham's home pitch, Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, was deemed unfit to be used for the semifinal. That forced Gotham to relocate the semifinal to Ichan Stadium, a 5,000 seat venue on Randall's Island in New York City.

Gotham had beaten Kansas City in the 2025 quarterfinals on its way to the NWSL title after the Current had a historical Shield-winning season. The Current lost to the Portland Thorns in the final in 2022.