Courage Wins Finale But Misses NWSL Playoffs Again

The North Carolina Courage closed the 2026 NWSL season with a 1-0 victory over the Denver Summit on November 1.

But the win was not enough to reach the postseason.

The Courage finished in ninth place, missing the playoffs by just two points.

It is the second consecutive season the team has been eliminated before the postseason.

The decisive goal came in the 94th minute of stoppage time.

Ashley Sanchez sent a cross into the box, and Denver defender Kaleigh Kurtz deflected the ball into her own net.

The home crowd of 10,803 fans erupted.

That attendance figure is the second highest in team history.

The Courage sold out five home games this season, marking a historic year for attendance.

But the result on the field depended on another game.

The Courage needed the Orlando Pride to beat the Seattle Reign to claim the final playoff spot.

Seattle won that match, scoring in the 68th minute.

The Courage were eliminated.

Head coach Mak Lind acknowledged the disappointment.

"Disappointed with the outcome and disappointed that we didn't make the playoffs," Lind said.

"Honestly, we did our job and that was not why we didn't make the playoff, it was earlier this season."

"In the end it was about a couple of points, two points and I can find them in many games."

Lind checked the score of the Seattle-Orlando match during halftime.

He told his players to focus on their own game.

"I did. I said we have it in our hands. Let's go out and give us a really good chance to win it and we did," Lind said.

"The players were so much more aggressive. We were intentional when we had the ball, brave on the ball."

Despite missing the playoffs, the season produced notable individual achievements.

Forward Ashley Sanchez finished the season with 20 goals.

That ties the NWSL single-season scoring record.

Sanchez appeared to score in the 15th minute to break the record, but the goal was called back for offside.

Lind praised Sanchez as an MVP-caliber player.

"For me, she's MVP. She is a high quality player, I'm happy for her," Lind said.

"At the same time, I feel a bit sorry that I couldn't make the playoffs with having a player that scores 20 goals."

"I hope that she believes in herself and tells herself that this is not a one-hit wonder. She is that type of player that can score goals in a season and many goals."

Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan also reached a milestone.

She recorded her 700th career save, becoming the third goalkeeper in NWSL history to reach that mark.

Sheridan made four saves in the match, cutting off Denver's offensive momentum.

"She's an incredible goalkeeper… Those saves give us a chance to win the game in the end," Lind said.

"I wished, of course, it would help to make the playoffs, but we didn't get that help from other teams."

Defender Natalie Jacobs spoke about the support from fans.

"These fans are awesome. Definitely, they definitely helped us tonight. I could feel the energy every time they were making noise. It really helped us push even more and it's great," Jacobs said.

"I love every single one of them, so I'm thankful to have them and their support."

The Courage finished the regular season with a 13-3-13 record.

Denver finished 11-11-8.

The NWSL playoffs will proceed without the Courage for the second straight year.