You’d think a team that sells out its stadium and beats a titan like Gotham FC on the final day of the season would be celebrating a deep playoff run. But soccer is cruel. Honestly, if you’re looking at the North Carolina Courage standings from the 2025 season, you’re seeing a team that finished exactly one point shy of the postseason. It’s a gut punch.
They finished in ninth place.
The numbers tell a story of "almost." Nine wins. Nine losses. Eight draws. It’s the kind of symmetrical mediocrity that drives coaches like Nathan Thackeray—who stepped in as acting head coach—absolutely wild. They finished with 35 points, sitting just behind Gotham FC's 36.
Where the North Carolina Courage Standings Ended Up
Let’s break down the table because it was a mess of tiebreakers and math toward the end. The Courage wrapped up with a -2 goal differential. They scored 37 goals but let in 39. That’s the problem right there. You can’t concede more than you score and expect to be playing in November.
The 2025 NWSL table was topped by a dominant Kansas City Current side that made everyone else look like they were playing in slow motion. The Current finished with 65 points. Compared to that, the Courage’s 35 points looks a bit lean, but the mid-table was a total dogfight.
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- 1st Place: Kansas City Current (65 pts)
- 8th Place (Final Playoff Spot): Gotham FC (36 pts)
- 9th Place: North Carolina Courage (35 pts)
It came down to Decision Day on November 2, 2025. The Courage did their job. They beat Gotham 3-2 in a thriller at First Horizon Stadium. Manaka Matsukubo—who was arguably the brightest spot of the year with 11 goals—scored a 35-yard chip that people are still talking about in Cary. But they needed help from Bay FC, and they didn't get it. Racing Louisville won their match, and just like that, North Carolina was out.
Home vs. Away: A Tale of Two Teams
If you look at the home versus away splits, it’s kinda weird. They weren't exactly "unbeatable" at WakeMed Soccer Park. They went 5-5-3 at home. Usually, you want your home stadium to be a fortress, but the Courage were almost as likely to lose or draw as they were to win in front of their own fans.
Away from home? They were actually decent, picking up 15 points on the road. Most teams in this league crumble when they have to travel to Portland or San Diego, but the Courage held their own.
The Iron Woman and the Roster Shakeup
You can't talk about the North Carolina Courage standings without mentioning Kaleigh Kurtz. She's basically a machine. She completed her fourth consecutive "Iron Woman" season, meaning she played every single minute of every single game. That is absurd. In a league as physical as the NWSL, her durability is the only reason the defense didn't completely fall apart during those mid-summer slumps.
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But things are changing fast. As of January 2026, the roster is in flux.
Kurtz is headed to the expansion team Denver Summit FC. That is a massive hole to fill. We’ve also seen Marisa Jordan traded to Kansas City to secure an international spot for 2026. The front office is clearly gambliing that they can rebuild the spine of the team through the draft and international signings like Chioma Okafor, the Nigerian forward they just brought in.
The Problem with the "Almost" Season
Statistical nerds will tell you the Courage were actually better than their record. Their Expected Goals (xG) was 42.5, but they only scored 37. Their Expected Goals Against (xGA) was 33.8, but they gave up 39.
Basically, they were unlucky.
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They created better chances than they finished, and their goalkeeping/defense allowed goals that "statistically" shouldn't have gone in. But the NWSL table doesn't care about "Expected" anything. It cares about points.
What’s Next for the 2026 Season?
The 2026 schedule footprint is already starting to take shape. With expansion teams like Denver Summit and Boston Legacy entering the fray, the road back to the top of the North Carolina Courage standings is getting steeper. The league is deeper now. There aren't any "easy" games against bottom-dwellers anymore.
Fans in Cary set an attendance record last year, with over 107,000 people coming through the gates over the season. The support is there. The talent—especially with Matsukubo leading the line—is there.
To jump from 9th back into the top 4, the Courage have to solve their defensive lapses. You can't have a negative goal differential and expect to win trophies. They need to find a way to replace Kurtz's 2,000+ minutes of stability.
Keep an eye on the 2026 NWSL Draft and the remaining free agency moves. The club has some extra cash (transfer funds from Bay FC for Brooklyn Courtnall) and that international spot from the KC trade. If they land a world-class center-back to pair with the existing core, that ninth-place finish will look like a one-year fluke rather than a downward trend.
Check the latest training camp notes and preseason rosters as they drop in February. The leap from "just missed it" to "contender" usually happens in these quiet winter months.