KC COURAGE: CONFERENCE TITLE, PLAYOFF BERTH IN RETURN TO WPSL

Written By: Sofia Scekic

Following its Heartland Conference title, the KC Courage will be one of four teams representing the Central Region in the 2023 WPSL Playoffs. The Courage kicks off its road to the national championship with a matchup on Saturday, July 15 against the Colorado Rapids Women — an undefeated team with a perfect 10-0 regular season record from the Mountain Conference that picked up the most points in the Central Region. The Rapids also ended the regular season ranked No. 1 in the WPSL National Power Rankings while the Courage rounded out the Top 10 in the rankings.

The Courage made it through the regular season without any losses, a 7-0-3 record and 24 points in the standings. It may have arguably had a relatively easier road through the regular season than the Rapids as the only established, returning team in the Heartland - all five other conference opponents played in their first WPSL seasons. By contrast, four of the five other teams in the Rapids’ division of the Mountain Conference had at least one previous WPSL season under their belt.

The Courage opened its season with 2-1 win over Sunflower State FC thanks to a goal in the final two minutes of the game that broke the tie. The Kansas City side followed up that game with a 1-1 draw against Saint Louis Scott Gallagher SC, though two games later Sunflower State nearly got the best of the Courage once again, but the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Following the early close-scoring games, the Courage finally found its groove on offense and outscored opponents in the final six games 23-2. The Courage closed out the regular season two weeks ago on July 1 with a 6-1 win over Heartland Conference third-place team, Kansas City Scott Gallagher SC in which four different players scored for the Courage. With a total of 28 goals on the season, the Courage tied for the fifth-most goals scored in the Central Region.

“We were fortunate with our schedule to have a bit of a break between our last season match and the upcoming weekend’s [playoff] games,” Candice Fabry, KC Courage coach, said. “The players and staff, therefore, arrived energized in our preparation sessions this past week and it felt good to get the ball rolling again together.”

Defense has been a strong suit for the Courage this season, as the team only allowed five goals through 10 games. It has perhaps been an even stronger suit for the Rapids this season, however, as the Denver-based side only gave up two goals during the entire regular season and shut out opponents on eight occasions.

This is the second year in a row that the Rapids have qualified for the playoffs after repeating both the Rockies Division and Mountain Conference title. Llast year, the team earned a spot in the WPSL Championship, but ultimately dropped a 3-1 decision to the California Storm.

“Our consistency is also due to playing in the Rockies Division,” Sebastian Giraldo, Colorado Rapids head coach, said.  “Where we need to bring it every night to be successful.”

The Rapids have shown its firepower on offense on several occasions this season as well, with a 9-0 win over the Broomfield Burn in late June that saw six players score at least one goal, and several more wins throughout the season by at least four goals.

“Colorado is a physical, explosive team when in possession, and therefore the responses we have individually and behind the ball will be critical,” Fabry said in response to what makes the Rapids such a challenging team to play.

Giraldo had similarly high praise for the Courage, saying “We know they have a couple of individuals that are top talent and very dangerous, especially in transition. We also recognize that everyone at this stage is a winner and knows how to win games, so we need to be at our best for the full game.”

Despite the success that the Rapids have had thus far in 2023,  and the fact that it’s perhaps one of the strongest teams in the WPSL, Fabry is confident in her team’s ability to challenge the Rapids and advance to the Regional Final.

“When we combine [the players’] game intelligence with the finishing abilities we showcased in the second half of the season, I believe we can come together for a strong performance and a solid chance to move on to Sunday,” Fabry said.

Saturday’s game kicks off at 4 PM CDT at Hart Park in Wauwatosa, Wis. The winner will then face the winner of the Central Region’s other semifinal game between FC Milwaukee Torrent and Salvo SC for a chance to advance to the WPSL Championship series.