Courage Retain Playoff Hopes after Drawing San Diego
by Fran Stuchbury
October 9, 2023 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
North Carolina Courage
A record crowd watches the North Carolina Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park
(North Carolina Courage, Credit: Fran Stuchbury)
The North Carolina Courage played to a 0-0 draw against San Diego Wave FC Saturday night in front of both a club and WakeMed Soccer Park record of 10,434 fans.
"I think that's what we need every week to be honest," said Courage Head Coach Sean Nahas of the home crowd. "I think the players have done their job performing. All this shows myself, the staff and the players that we can do this. It takes work. It takes a commitment. It takes a willingness. This is how it should be every single week."
The Courage sit in third place in the National Women's Soccer League standings with 30 points. The draw earned San Diego Wave FC a first-round bye and home-field advantage for a semifinal matchup, joining Portland Thorns FC.
Going into the final week of the NWSL season, four playoff spots are still up for grabs with eight teams in contention.
Along with North Carolina, NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, OL Reign, Orlando Pride, Angel City FC, Racing Louisville FC and the Houston Dash are all vying for a playoff spot with four points separating third and tenth place in the NWSL standings.
The Kansas City Current and Chicago Red Stars have been eliminated.
"Good performance overall; I thought the performance in the first hand was electric," said Nahas. "I thought in the second half they made it a little bit more difficult for us. For such a young group to come out in this environment and play the way they did, I think it was a good exhibition for both teams to put on and a good product for the league. I am proud of the group and the performance they gave tonight."
The Courage had 12 shots in the game compared to four for San Diego.
Denise O'Sullivan became the club record holder for all-time regular season minutes played at the 50-minute mark, giving her 9,393 minutes.
"It's an honor, a very special night," said O'Sullivan. "Those accolades are nice, but you can't get those without the team. They make me better everyday, the coaches make them better everyday."
"When we signed her years ago, I think we all knew she had greatness in her but she's a club legend," Nahas added. "She's a special, special kid."
North Carolina continues to defy the low exceptions league observers had for the club this season, with many expecting the team to finish around the bottom of the NWSL standings.
"The beginning of the year people wrote us off," Nahas recalled. "What I find funny now is people get mad when we drop points. Those were the same people that were telling me that I ruined the club. I find that quite comical that now they're mad when we drop points. They're the ones that wrote us off, many people did. I appreciate them. No one's going to tell me regardless what happens between now and next weekend, that this season hasn't been a success. There's a lot of people that are proud of this group and those are the ones I focus on."
The Courage finish the regular season with the playoff berth on the line on the NWSL's Decision Day, Sunday at the Washington Spirit at 5 pm est. The other NWSL games are all scheduled to kick off at the same time, providing an added layer of drama and chaos for teams in contention making a final push for the playoffs.
Images from this story
 A record crowd watches the North Carolina Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park (Fran Stuchbury) |
 A record crowd watches the North Carolina Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park (Fran Stuchbury) |
National Women's Soccer League Stories from October 9, 2023
- Record Set: North Carolina Courage Welcome 10,434 Fans Saturday - North Carolina Courage
- Courage Retain Playoff Hopes after Drawing San Diego - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Courage Retain Playoff Hopes after Drawing San Diego - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Courage Retain Playoff Hopes after Drawing San Diego - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
