German national team fullback Feli Rauch is ready to get out of her comfort zone with NC Courage

By Louis Fernandez, WRAL Sports

German national team star Felicitas 'Feli' Rauch has been in the state of North Carolina for only a few days now, but she's already starting to get the picture.

"I heard you have like mountains, beaches, we have everything so I think I'm going to feel very comfortable here," Rauch said.

It's the first time in this part of the United States for the fullback, formerly from Wolfsburg of the Frauen-Bundesliga. The North Carolina Courage acquired her via transfer in January, signing her to a two-year guaranteed contract through the 2025 NWSL season.

The 27-year-old has 36 appearances for the German senior national team, including 2022 Euros and 2023 Women's World Cup. She has four goals at the international level. Rauch has plenty of experience at the club level with more than 80 league appearances for the Wolfsburg, scoring eight times and adding 20 assists. While she's played all over the world on the international stage, this is her first time in North Carolina.

Rauch is the first player with German affiliation to join the Courage in club history. It's the 16th different country affiliation.

"In Germany, I felt like I needed change, I'm going to go out of my comfort zone to make the next step, develop," Rauch said.

Rauch added the way the club pursued her, showed an interest in her, made a big difference. Her first time meeting head coach Sean Nahas was on a video call, where they spent two hours talking, going over charts and where the club is heading.

"They really know where they want to go and what it takes to get there, it just gave me a good feeling, and I feel very appreciated, which is very lovely, but I want to pay that back," Rauch said.

So what does Rauch bring to the Courage? Her talent, for one, but also, her experience playing in Europe in big moments.

"Football in Europe is very developed, we used to play in front of 60,000 people pretty regularly, so that's a good way. I want to bring that experience here to like just stay with you, your mindset, no matter what happens outside your box, just be focused, have fun with the girls and be successful."

Rauch added she identifies with the style of play, how the Courage make an impact on those around them. She can serve as a cornerstone, but she's not going to be the only one doing the teaching.

"Learn from the girls, cause I haven't played in this league and I'm going to make my first experiences and I'm looking forward to this."

The regular season begins on March 16 at WakeMed Soccer Park vs. the Houston Dash.