Soccer’s World Cup could be NC Courage’s biggest opponent this year

Abby Erceg was surprised, if only because what she witnessed didn’t seem possible. Conditioning day had arrived at the NC Courage’s preseason camp, as players went through various tests measuring their quickness, strength and endurance.

Erceg, the team’s captain who played every minute of every game at center back last season, reached a conclusion that should strike fear into the rest of the NWSL: “Compared to last year, we are officially fitter, stronger, faster.”

As it was, the Courage showed they were already plenty strong and fast in 2018, as they ruthlessly went about a campaign that brought with it three trophies, including the NWSL championship.

But if there ever was a test to the “No Finish Line” motto that the Courage and head coach Paul Riley adopted, the year ahead is it. The team will understandably have a target on its back during the 2019 season, which begins Saturday night at home against the Chicago Red Stars.

“You don’t follow a season like that up,” Erceg said. “You just carry on with what you’re doing.”

What the Courage did last season worked just fine. Playing an aesthetically pleasing and direct style of soccer, the team set an NWSL regular-season record with 53 goals. Equally daunting was its high-pressing defense, which led to 11 shutouts.

But a new challenge awaits the Courage this season, and it doesn’t come in the form of a particular opponent but instead potential difficulties posed by this summer’s World Cup.

The competition is undoubtedly a boon to women’s soccer in the U.S., a chance for the nation to become captivated with the sport, which has happened on multiple occasions, most recently in 2015 when the Americans won it all. Should something similar happen this summer, the Courage and other NWSL clubs could surely benefit from the added spotlight.

At the same time, the World Cup could throw a wrench in the Courage’s plans to “just carry on” with what it’s doing.

With several players set to join their respective national teams beginning in late April and early May for perhaps as long as three months, many of the Courage’s stars will miss an extended portion of the 24-game season.

Looking at U.S. internationals alone, the Courage could be without forward Crystal Dunn, midfielder McCall Zerboni, center back Abby Dahlkemper, midfielder Samantha Mewis and forward Jessica McDonald. Should the U.S. reach the finals again, those players wouldn’t be back until late July at the earliest. Erceg (New Zealand), midfielder Debinha (Brazil) and newly acquired goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe (Canada) are expected to join their respective national teams as well.

“We’ve really prepped for this moment,” Riley said. “We’ve had a long-term plan in place for 18 months.”

The absences created by the World Cup mean greater opportunities for several players. Midfielder Cari Roccaro, center back Kaleigh Kurtz and forward Kristen Hamilton each should see expanded roles, while the likes of midfielder Denise O’Sullivan and outside backs Merritt Mathias and Jaelene Hinkle will continue to start. Heather O’Reilly, who announced Friday on Twitter this will be her last professional season, will still be around to provide a veteran presence.

But if there’s one player who best represents the amount of firepower the Courage still have, it’s forward Lynn Williams, the 2016 NWSL MVP. Williams led the Courage and finished second in the league with 14 goals last season. Yet she’s not expected to be included in the U.S. squad for the World Cup, which will obviously help the Courage.

Williams thinks she and her teammates are ready for the challenges they’ll encounter this season.

“I have a lot of faith in this team,” she said. “I don’t want to talk about last year, but you saw last year … everybody was away, and we played in the ICC and we stepped up and got it done. Yes, maybe we do have a starting 11, but that doesn’t mean No. 12 through 26 aren’t also start-worthy.”

Not much went wrong for the Courage last year, and there’s no reason why, at full strength, the team can’t be as good. But a new season will bring about unique challenges, which Riley embraces.

“I’m excited for the first down, because I think the first down will challenge us, and we’ll see what we’re made of,” Riley said.

This story was originally published April 12, 2019 at 10:52 AM.