The North Carolina Courage earned their first Challenge Cup title after beating the Washington Spirit 2–1 on Saturday.
The match made headlines for other reasons, though. Fans were critical of the officiating throughout the match, especially in the second half when various calls were missed in potentially dangerous situations.
At one point, Spirit midfielder Jordan Baggett was injured and needed a stretcher. The medical crew wasn’t quick enough, so some of the Spirit players ran over to bring the stretcher to their teammate.
This moment in particular is causing the NWSL to catch plenty of heat due to the safety concerns sparked from the match.