UKG NWSL Challenge Cup: Breaking down the last four teams remaining

No. 3 seed: North Carolina Courage (3-2-1)

Division: East

Semifinal opponent: Kansas City Current

Sean Nahas and the Courage can thank Messiah Bright and Orlando Pride for keeping the dream of consecutive Challenge Cups alive. Unlike the other two divisions, the East came down to the final match of the entire group stage. Bright’s first-half goal proved to be enough to propel the defending cup champions into the three seed of this bracket.

It is not like this team did not deserve it. North Carolina was absolutely relentless in the final third in match weeks four and five, combining to score 11 goals in 180 minutes of soccer. That Olivia Wingate goal in stoppage time in the nation’s capital sparked the Courage, beginning a stunning run of form. The team had to rebound from back-to-back draws to kick the Challenge Cup off.

Four players finished group play with multiple goals with Brittany Ratcliffe leading the pack with three. Rookie forward Wingate has been an energy lifter off the bench, collecting the most goal contributions on the team in just 246 cup minutes. Nahas has proven before he can lead a team to the top, and with the kind of football his side is playing this season, there is little doubt he can do it again. For North Carolina, it is all about the collective unit.

There are stars within it, but the unselfishness is quite evident. Led by a solid backbone in the defense, the Courage has the capability to slowly break any opponent down. When they find the code, they run with it. Currently sitting at the top of the NWSL table, North Carolina still owns the ability to achieve the domestic double.