The North Carolina Courage are back-to-back NWSL Challenge Cup winners after defeating Racing Louisville 2-0 in the tournament’s final Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park. Here’s what you need to know:
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Racing looked tired
Racing Louisville beat the Reign 1-0 in the Challenge Cup semifinal on Sept. 6, then woke up at 4 a.m. PT on Sept. 8 to fly to Cary, N.C., arriving the evening before their game against the Courage. So it’s no surprise they looked tired early, with an at-home Courage looking far more sprightly in their ability to break down Racing’s back line.
But for all that, they did the best they could with what they had; Thembi Kgatlana tried to threaten through one-on-ones and Ary Borges had a nice shot on goal from a set piece. They just didn’t have the legs and were often caught giving the Courage far too much space. — Yang
Courage scored in style
The Courage didn’t just have more legs, they also poured on the flourishes. Matsukubo was key to the Courage, her well-weighted balls dished through the back line often allowing Kerolin to threaten in the box. Kerolin herself was dangerous whether attacking the right flank or drifting centrally; she was able to tip multiple defenders off balance with the shape of her runs or using her…
