2019 NWSL Championship
| Event | NWSL Championship | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | October 27, 2019 | ||||||
| Venue | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
| Most Valuable Player | Debinha (North Carolina Courage) | ||||||
| Referee | Rosendo Mendoza | ||||||
| Attendance | 10,227 | ||||||
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.[1][2]
Road to the final
[edit]North Carolina Courage
[edit]After completing the NWSL's first double in the 2018 NWSL Championship, the Courage repeated as NWSL Shield champions in the 2019 regular season.[3] 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.[3] 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.[3]
Chicago Red Stars
[edit]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.[4] 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.[5] She was joined in the NWSL Best XI by defenders Casey Short and Julie Ertz.[3] 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.[6]
Match
[edit]Details
[edit]| North Carolina Courage | 4–0 | Chicago Red Stars |
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| Report |
       North Carolina Courage
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   Chicago Red Stars
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NWSL Championship Most Valuable Player:
Assistant referees:
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Match rules
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References
[edit]- ^ "North Carolina Courage Win N.W.S.L. Title". The New York Times. October 27, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ^ Gordon, Bridget (October 28, 2019). "Three Takeaways From The 2019 NWSL Championship". All for XI. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "2019 NWSL Stats". FBref.com. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ^ "Chicago Stars FC Stats and History". FBref.com. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ^ Hays, Graham (October 25, 2019). "Chicago Red Stars' Sam Kerr wins second NWSL MVP award". ESPN. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ^ Hawley, Larry (October 21, 2019). "The Red Stars' first NWSL playoff win gives them a shot for a championship". WGN-TV. Retrieved August 19, 2025.