On Sunday, Oct. 27, the North Carolina Courage won the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Championship for the second consecutive year. The game was against the Chicago Red Stars at Sahlen’s Stadium at Wakemed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. Courage won 4-0 against the Red Stars, making the win look easy. The NWSL has nine total teams that are included in the league. Players on the NC Courage are from all over the world, from countries including Brazil, New Zealand, and The Republic of Ireland. The team has 30 total players, and of these 30 players, seven of them are listed on their respective country’s national team rosters.
The game started off at a fast pace when Debinha scored the first Courage goal in the fourth minute, and from there, Courage dominated. McDonald, Dunn and Mewis went on to score the remaining three goals for Courage, securing them the title. When asked about the turning point of the game, rookie Peyton Perea said it was “definitely the third goal in the first half. We solidified the win with that goal...we showed our dominance.” The consecutive win is history-making in the young soccer club. According to the national Major Soccer League, Courage’s second championship win puts them on the path to be “the league’s first true dynasty.”
Going into the championship match, the Red Stars were on a six-game winning streak. When asked how the team dealt with this, Perea stated, “we prioritized our performance over theirs.” This attitude led them through a successful game. Perea also stated that they “never expect [to win] anything…but [they] did expect to have a strong performance and knew if everyone did their part it would lead to a win.” This is a big win for Courage and is hopefully foreshadowing for next season.
By Ell Shelp-Peck, Staff Writer