The 2019 NWSL Championship was the seventh edition of the NWSL Championship, the championship match of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), and took place on October 27, 2019. Defending double champions North Carolina Courage won 4–0 against the Chicago Red Stars, completing the league double for the second consecutive season. They were the first team to win the NWSL final at home as the final was held at Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.
Road to the final North Carolina Courage
After completing the NWSL's first double in the 2018 NWSL Championship, the Courage repeated as NWSL Shield champions in the 2019 regular season. The league's highest-scoring offense was led by NWSL Golden Boot runner-up Lynn Williams, while the league's lowest-conceding defense featured the past two NWSL Defenders of the Year in Abby Dahlkemper and Abby Erceg. In the playoff semifinals, the Courage won 4–1 over the fourth seed Reign FC in extra time, with extra-time goals scored by Debinha, Lauren Barnes (own goal), and Crystal Dunn, to reach the franchise's fourth consecutive NWSL final.
Chicago Red Stars
After losing to the Courage in the 2018 playoff semifinals, the Chicago Red Stars matched their best NWSL regular-season finish by placing second in the 2019 standings. They were led by three-time NWSL Golden Boot winner and two-time NWSL Most Valuable Player Sam Kerr who broke her own record for goals in a single NWSL season. She was joined in the NWSL Best XI by defenders Casey Short and Julie Ertz. In the playoff semifinals, an early goal by Sam Kerr was the difference in a 1–0 win over the third seed Portland Thorns FC, the Red Stars' first NWSL playoff win in their fifth playoff appearance.
Match
Details
GK 1 Stephanie LabbéLB 15 Jaelene HinkleCB 6 Abby Erceg (c)CB 13 Abby DahlkemperRB 17 Heather O'Reilly DM 8 Denise O'SullivanMF 5 Sam MewisAM 10 DebinhaAM 19 Crystal Dunn FW 9 Lynn WilliamsFW 14 Jessica McDonald Substitutes:GK 99 Katelyn RowlandFW 23 Kristen Hamilton DF 3 Kaleigh KurtzMF 16 Cari Roccaro MF 25 Meredith SpeckMF 16 Julia SpetsmarkMF 7 McCall Zerboni Manager: Paul Riley GK 1 Alyssa NaeherLB 25 Casey ShortCB 5 Katie NaughtonCB 8 Julie Ertz RB 14 Sarah GordenDM 13 Morgan BrianDM 24 Danielle Colaprico AM 17 Yūki NagasatoAM 10 Vanessa DiBernardo AM 9 Savannah McCaskill FW 20 Sam KerrSubstitutes:GK 21 Emily BoydMF 23 Brooke Elby DF 32 Zoey GoralskiMF 33 Katie Johnson DF 28 Kayla SharplesMF 2 Nikki Stanton MF 15 María SánchezManager: Rory Dames
NWSL Championship Most Valuable Player: Debinha
Assistant referees: Jennifer Garner (United States) Deleana Quan (United States) Fourth official: Kevin Broadley (United States)Match rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra time if necessary. Penalty shootout if scores still level. Maximum of three substitutions.
References