North Carolina coach Sean Nahas praised his team following Saturday’s scoreless draw with the Portland Thorns, tweeting, “This North Carolina Courage team never ceases to amaze me.”
He went on to write, “These women should be applauded for the people they are and the character they show!”
This @TheNCCourage team never ceases to amaze me. Couldn’t be more proud of this team after all they have been through. Thank you to them and the staff for all they have given in recent weeks. These women should be applauded for the people they are and the character they show!— Sean Nahas (@NahasSean) October 31, 2021
This @TheNCCourage team never ceases to amaze me. Couldn’t be more proud of this team after all they have been through. Thank you to them and the staff for all they have given in recent weeks. These women should be applauded for the people they are and the character they show!
Nahas echoed the sentiment in his postgame press conference, acknowledging the team’s resilience following Paul Riley’s ouster due to accusations of sexual coercion and abuse. When asked what his favorite moment of the year was, Nahas cited the call he got to take over the team in a time of turmoil.
“They trusted in me to step in and lead the way in a moment that probably was dire straits for a lot of them, so for me that was my favorite moment of the year,” he said. “It had nothing to do with playing, because in their darkest hour they asked me to lead the way, and as a coach that’s more valuable than anything a player can do on the field.”
.@NahasSean wanted one more question to end the press conference. So I asked him what his single favorite moment was this season and if you listen to nothing else today, listen to this. #NWSL pic.twitter.com/dPlL876FKb— Nicholas Schnittker (@nick_schnittker) October 31, 2021
.@NahasSean wanted one more question to end the press conference. So I asked him what his single favorite moment was this season and if you listen to nothing else today, listen to this. #NWSL pic.twitter.com/dPlL876FKb
The Courage’s tie keeps their playoff hopes alive ever so slightly, an outcome Nahas embraced. “We’ll take a point, to be honest, because it gives us life.”
The North Carolina coach also wasn’t shy about saying he would be rooting for the Washington Spirit on Sunday, with the Courage’s postseason hopes now hinging on a Dash loss.
The final NWSL playoff spot will be determined in Houston’s matchup on Sunday against the Washington Spirit.