From Eighty to Two

The regular season in the USL W League is a sprint. You blink, and it’s over. Then you get to the playoffs and, due to calendar restrictions, things have to move even faster. Out of the 80 clubs that started the season, only 16 got to qualify for the playoffs. One weekend later, and that number got chopped right down to four before we could catch our breath and watch the semifinals the following weekend. It’s madness that reminds us of March.

The two clubs that emerged victorious from the semifinal matches, NC Courage U23 and Colorado Storm, have proven they belong here. Let’s take a look at the two teams that will be facing each other this Sunday.

NC Courage U23

When NC Courage became part of the USL W League in 2022, the club made Willie Davis its head coach. The choice made a lot of sense: Davis had been part of the youth program at North Carolina FC for five years, and had been a coach for many years prior to joining NCFC. That sense of stability and consistency seems to be woven in the fabric of this club.

In a league that is focused on being a place for college players to play in the off season, keeping a consistent roster can be difficult. But at the core of NC Courage U23 is a group of players who have now been here for two or three seasons. Having that consistency can be a huge advantage. “It’s immense,” says Davis. “They are the base, but also create the long term heartbeat of the team so when they do move on, we aren’t losing because they have guided those around them to continue or even elevate who we are as a program.” Center back Taylor Chism echoes these feelings. “Coach Willie has been able to bring back players year after year who are dedicated and committed. He has been able to create an environment where everyone is hard-working and where everyone wants to not only get better themselves but make the people around them better too. I think that this has helped so much with team chemistry and the way we play on the field.”

Added motivation for this season was how last season ended. In the 2023 season, NC Courage made it all the way to the USL W League finals, only to lose to Indy Eleven 2-1 in extra time. ”To say that losing in the USL W league final last year was disappointing, is an understatement,” says Chism. “I think that the feeling of being so close to winning it all and then losing is more motivating than anything. I know that I was extremely motivated to get back to the final and finish the job this time.”

The playoffs started in impressive fashion for NC Courage, winning easily against Lancaster Inferno and Long Island Rough Riders by a combined score of 7-0. Smooth sailing to the finals, right?

Not quite. They met Tennessee SC in the semis, and were given a fight by the South Central Division winners.

The two sides played to a 1-1 draw and had to go to extra time. But it would be NC Courage delivering the late magic as Syrianna Davis scored a wonder goal from outside the 18 in the 109th minute. “I think that the adversity we faced during the Tennessee SC game was great for us leading up to the final,” says Chism. “I think that the physical aspect of the game was tested for us as well as mental and we got the job done.”

Colorado Storm

Maybe the Colorado Storm were new to you in 2024, but the Denver, Colorado-based club can trace their history back to 1967. The women’s side first took the field in 2019 and have been successful from the very start. Being one of the new kids on the Big W block this year, were the Storm’s goals for its inaugural season going to be modest? Hardly.

“We had three performance objectives at the beginning of the season,” says Coach Sebastian Giraldo. “1, win the Mountain Division. 2, win the Western Conference. 3, win the National Championship.” Center back and team captain Hannah Gallegos, who was coming back from injury in 2023, had similar feelings. Going into the season, she and her teammates believed “we were all on the same mindset that we were going to be playing in the national final.”

In the newly-founded Mountain Division, the Storm went to work right away and started the season with four straight clean sheets, scoring 24 goals in those games. The club finished the season with 10 wins, one draw and one loss, with a gaudy goal differential of +52. They won the division, but playing in a five-team division may have affected the perception of the team heading into the playoffs. According to Coach Giraldo, “there was probably some hesitation in comparing us to some of the more tenured USL-W clubs. However, the level of talent here in Colorado is high, and it is a hotbed for girls' and women's soccer talent.”

The Storm had to start the playoffs on the road, facing some of the best clubs in the USL W League. An opening round matchup against California Storm looked like a tough matchup. But someone forgot to tell Colorado that as they won 3-0. Two days later it was FC Olympia that would go down 1-0. “I think a lot of the teams we've played so far didn't think we could do what we are doing right now, “ says Chism, “but beating those teams at their home fields in front of their fans I think proves the point that we should be exactly where we are right now, no doubt about that.”

And then, a date in the semifinals with Detroit City FC - at Keyworth, no less.“Playing in that game was incredible,” recalls Gallegos. “The atmosphere, the fans, everything about that game is something I'll never forget.” She and her teammates will also never forget overcoming an early deficit to win 2-1 on a 2nd half injury time goal scored by midfielder Rose McDermott. McDermott scored both goals in the match.

And Now, The Finals

So, what do the coaches think of their opponent for the finals? For Coach Davis, the Colorado Storm “do what most teams do not do in our league and that’s taking a chance to play the game in a sophisticated manner.” And they can do so with the players they have, he believes. Coach Giraldo, believing his side would make it to the finals, watched NC Courage during the season. “They are a top professional organization with some of the best talent in the country,” says Giraldo. “They make every moment of the game difficult for the opposition, are well-coached, and have a lot of experience in big games. We have a lot of respect for them and look forward to the challenge.”

Players to watch? For Taylor Chism who has to face NC Courage U23’s offensive players in practice, she has enjoyed seeing the development of forward Hannah Jibril. “I have definitely loved seeing Hannah Jibril go against the other team’s defense specifically. She has found the back of the net in multiple games this season while still being able to create opportunities for her teammates.”

For the Storm, Coach Giraldo has nothing but high praise for Hannah Gallegos, calling the team captain their “undisputed leader.“ “She is not only a rock in terms of performance in every game but also a phenomenal person who espouses our values as a team and club.”

Colorado Storm and NC Courage U23 meet in the USL W League finals on Sunday, July 20th at 6PM ET at WRAL Soccer Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Thanks to Coach Willie Davis and Taylor Chism from NC Courge U23, and Coach Sebastian Giraldo and Hannah Gallegos from Colorado Storm for their time.

by John Howard-Fusco