Confidence is key. An old but accurate saying, especially in the world of sports. Nothing is a bigger confidence boost than proving your place among the world’s greatest players by running with the world’s greats, which is exactly what the North Carolina Courage did at the 2019 Women’s International Champions Cup.
Last season, after winning the WICC, the Courage dropped just four points over its final five games of the regular season, winning three and drawing twice. The two draws came at the hands of the Chicago Red Stars and Reign FC, who both finished in a playoff position at the end of the regular season.
Following those five games, the Courage went on to beat both Chicago and the Portland Thorns on its way to winning the 2018 NWSL Championship. While the Courage took just 2.2 points per game from the final five regular season games, compared to 2.4 which was its average for the season as a whole, what was really impressive following the 2018 WICC was the style by which the Courage won.
In the seven games, including the postseason, following the 2018 WICC, the Courage conceded just three goals and scored 17. Five of the seven games also came against teams that made the playoffs, with two of them being the playoff semi-final and final, which the Courage won by a combined score of 5-0.
Despite not winning the WICC this year, a similar boost in results could be expected for the Courage.
The Courage currently sits third in the NWSL table, one point behind the second-place Chicago Red Stars and five behind first-place Portland, but the Courage has one and two games in hand, respectively, on the teams above them.
This season, the Courage has eight games remaining, including one match against Portland and one each against Utah and Reign FC who both sit just one point behind the Courage in the table.
Given how well the Courage played against both Manchester City and Olympique Lyonnais, the squad should be brimming with confidence, despite the result in the final not being ideal.
“We are obviously disappointed we didn’t get the win; we are all competitive as hell,” NC Courage midfielder Crystal Dunn said following the team’s loss to Lyon. “I think they always said ‘I wasn’t a part of the girls winning last season’ but we played tonight. We lost a game playing the best that we can play…. At the end of the day, we did have to make them play at their best, they got maybe two shots on goal and one of them went in, that is just the nature of the game.”
A part of the form shown during the WICC is likely due to the return of the USWNT players to the Courage lineup, all four of whom appeared during the WICC. Both midfielders Sam Mewis and Crystal Dunn started both games, forward Jessica McDonald was a second-half sub in both games and center back Abby Dahlkemper started the final after sitting out of the Man City game.
All four of the returning World Cup Champions had their moments during the tournament, but the biggest boost to the squad will likely be the return of Dahlkemper into the backline alongside veteran Abby Erceg.
Mewis’s impact in the midfield was also noticeable with the 6-foot midfielder providing both a spark going forward and some steel on the defensive end. Dunn playing on the wing across from Debinha was also electric with the two wingers both creating a ton of opportunities for the forwards.
McDonald was the perfect super sub during the tournament, providing an offensive spark that was needed in both games and going all out during her time on the field. Scoring the winner in the first game, McDonald’s mix of speed and ability to hold the ball up provided something different in the attack that could prove vital in the latter stages of the NWSL season.
“The biggest thing for us was getting the World Cup players back and getting them settled,” said NC Courage head coach Paul Riley. “I’ve been a little bit down on a few of them obviously over the last few weeks about their fitness levels, but I thought Dahlkemper was tremendous tonight, I think she will just push on and be really good the rest of the season. Crystal [Dunn] is fully fit now, Jess McDonald is getting there, still needs a little more time. I think you can see their sharpness coming back and the integration with the players. Sam Mewis has come in and been terrific, this is the first time she has gone close to 90 minutes. I don’t think she is 90 minutes fit yet but she is getting there.”
With the returning USWNT players, as well as a number of players, such as Lynn Williams, Kristen Hamilton, Debinha and others, all hitting top form at the same time, the end of this season could be the perfect storm for the Courage to defend the NWSL title.
