This is the game you circle on your calendar when the schedule comes out; the one you say you can’t miss, no matter what, if you’re going to miss a game at all. It’s the opponent you wait for all season, with their one trip to Providence Park guaranteed to be the most meaningful game on the calendar.
This is what the North Carolina Courage has become. For two straight years, they’ve met Portland Thorns FC in the National Women’s Soccer League final, with the teams splitting those outcomes. The last time another group of players claimed an NWSL honor was in 2015.