IRISH INTERNATIONAL DENISE O’Sullivan played all 90 minutes as North Carolina Courage hammered Chicago Red Stars 4-0 to win a second-straight National Women’s Soccer League championship in the US. 

Cork native O’Sullivan was voted as her club’s MVP in the lead-up to the final, and they took the lead through Brazilian striker Debinha just four minutes into the game. 

Two of the USA’s World Cup winners – Jessica McDonald and Crystal Dunn – added further goals for Courage before half-time, and the rout was completed just after the hour mark with a Samantha Mewis goal. 

The final – played before a sold-out crowd of 10,227 – was a fitting emblem for Courage’s dominance of the league this season, as they also won the NWSL Shield for putting together the best regular-season record of the season. They are the first side in history to put both the championship and shield titles back-to-back.