Chicago Red Stars Vs North Carolina Courage: NWSL Championship Preview

The Chicago Red Stars will finish their season where it began, versus the North Carolina Courage. We take a look at the NWSL Championship battle ahead.

This preview will look at the game from a Chicago Red Stars standpoint. A later piece will consider the North Carolina Courage perspective.

After 25 games played this season for both teams, the NWSL season will end where it began: in WakeMed Park between the Chicago Red Stars and North Carolina Courage. It’s fitting that the first game was a draw, one of only two draws in Chicago’s entire season, because it’s nearly impossible to separate the two teams going into this one.

After the last game, it was quite evident just how crucial home-field advantage was for the Chicago Red Stars. So Sunday’s trip to North Carolina will not be easy. The Red Stars may not have lost to North Carolina this season, but both of their wins came at home. While the Red Stars are ahead in the season series, that record means next to nothing when it comes to the weekend’s final.

The Red Stars are in unfamiliar territory. The Courage are not only at home physically; they will be at home mentally after having been in the final for the past three years (four if you count them as the WNY Flash), the Red Stars have never reached this stage before. They are an experienced team, yes, but this is new ground for Rory Dames and his players.

Both teams seem to be unscathed regarding injuries. The Chicago Red Stars have had players with long-term issues like Michele Vasconcelos and Alyssa Mautz but there are no new absences to speak of. Things changed a bit this past week when Arin Wright announced her pregnancy. That didn’t appear to have much bearing on this upcoming game until Tierna Davidson was reported as out with an ankle injury sustained during practice. With Davidson out, the best replacement might have been moving Sarah Gorden to center-back and starting Wright at full-back; but now Katie Naughton is the presumed replacement.

That is a massive blow to a Chicago Red Stars defense that has been in superb form, only allowing two goals in their last six games. The backline of Casey Short, Gorden, Julie Ertz and Davidson was solid and reliable, but the injury to Davidson changes things. This nearly unstoppable defense has now been broken up, which could stress the rest of the team.

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The changes at center-back are especially pertinent against the North Carolina Courage. Lynn Williams and Debinha like to occupy central areas to create chances and score goals. That will put a strain on Ertz and Naughton. Naughton was originally a starter but lost her spot to Gorden after a rather disappointing stretch of the season. This is quite the game to make your return.

Offensively, the Chicago Red Stars should be ready to fire. The constant pressure and work rate of Sam Kerr and Savannah McCaskill can wear any defense down and the string-pulling distribution of Nagasato and Vanessa DiBernardo will cut through even the most structured of backlines. Only the Courage scored more than the Red Stars this season. Kerr is the best goalscorer in world football. And Dames’ side have also developed a penchant for scoring early, providing a lead to defend, an especially pertinent skill in knockout football.

It is set to be a true rip-roarer of a final. These two teams have been the best in the league since the beginning of the season. The Red Stars finally have a chance to deliver when they have previously failed. But to do that, they must beat the best. You would not have it any other way.

Chicago Red Stars Projected XI:

Chicago Red Stars NWSL Cup - Football tactics and formations /

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How To Watch: Sunday, October 27th, 2:30 PM CDT; At WakeMed Park in Cary, NC and on ESPN

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