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It began with more than 300 teams competing for four spots in Cary, North Carolina. Now a final quartet is headed instead to San Jose, California, to settle a national championship. Relocated by the NCAA in response to anti-LGBTQ legislation in North Carolina, the College Cup begins Friday with semifinals pitting No. 1 West Virginia against No. 2 North Carolina (ESPNU, 5 p.m. ET) and No. 2 Georgetown against No. 2 USC (ESPNU, 7:30 p.m. ET). What follows is a first look at what to expect.The 2016 College Cup is a sign of the timesFor the first time since 2010, which was also the only other instance in the past 20 years, the College Cup includes two first-time participants in Georgetown and West Virginia. And with USC making just its second appearance, this field misses out on having arguably the least seniority in the events history only because, well, North Carolina is North Carolina.In some respects, this College Cup is a sign of a very specific moment in time. It cannot be a coincidence that the teams in San Jose were, by and large, less hampered by the Under-20 Womens World Cup than the likes of UCLA or reigning champion Penn State. Or that Florida State and Virginia, two postseason staples in recent seasons, finally saw their balance tilt from reloading to rebuilding. Or that Stanford fell victim to one of the tournaments great upsets despite taking 31 shots on the night against Santa Clara.And, as always, there was good fortune involved in surviving penalty shootouts (USC and West Virginia) or staying at home throughout the first four rounds (Georgetown). It isnt much of a stretch to imagine that Duke, Florida State and Stanford could be alongside North Carolina.Then again, it might just as easily be South Carolina and Auburn alongside Georgetown and West Virginia in a field of four first-timers. And perhaps thats more the point. Since 2010, there have been eight first-time participants and four first-time champions in the College Cup. In the 10 tournaments between 2000 and 2009, just four programs made College Cup debuts.This isnt a College Cup of upstarts or underdogs. Just one of unfamiliar names.How did they know the way to San Jose?Georgetown: There was drama during a 1-0 quarterfinal win over Santa Clara, the goal coming from Notre Dame transfer Crystal Thomas in the 76th minute and standing up only after a save in the final minute. But by the standards of this bracket, Georgetown progressed with ease. The Hoyas havent allowed a goal yet and took the lead inside an hour in each of their first three games. Not bad for a program that is less than a decade removed from its NCAA tournament debut and matched its previous all-time postseason win total with this run.North Carolina: As was true of their most recent title in 2012, North Carolina is the only semifinalist that played on the road en route to the College Cup, a 1-0 quarterfinal win at South Carolina. The Tar Heels also played this season without Jessie Scarpa, a first-team all-ACC selection, and freshman Taylor Otto because of the U-20 World Cup, as well as midfielder Joanna Boyles because of injury. So early struggles, including a 3-0 loss at USC, were hardly a shock. But the past month has been a tour de force, including wins over Florida State, Virginia, Notre Dame, Clemson and South Carolina.USC: USC survived a second-round penalty shootout against Texas A&M and had to hold off Auburn in an evenly played quarterfinal, a game it had the chance to play at home because Auburn beat top-seeded Florida a week earlier. But that was also the second win of the season over Auburn, in addition to wins against North Carolina and Stanford. Somewhat improbably the first Pac-12 program to win a national title in 2007, beating more familiar Stanford and UCLA to the distinction, USC could now become the first team from the conference with multiple titles.West Virginia: The Mountaineers havent had a two-goal lead since the first round, played nearly 40 minutes of overtime, gave up one lead in the final minute of regulation, survived a penalty shootout against UCLA and were outshot in a 1-0 quarterfinal win over Duke. But unlike every other No. 1 seed, they still have games to play. Dont let the postseason drama, which plenty of past champions endured, obscure the full body of work. This team that shut out the Big 12 -- the entire league -- had the second-stingiest defense in the nation.The four keysGeorgetowns versatility: It may be new to the championship scene, but Georgetown brings the diversified portfolio of a longtime participant. Yes, the Hoyas like to have the ball and break opponents down. Fifth in the nation in scoring entering the quarterfinals, they are the only semifinalist ranked in the top 30 in scoring. But their best win of the regular season came at West Virginia, a game in which they surrendered the vast majority of possession and defended for their lives. They shut out Virginia in the Sweet 16 when they recorded just three shots of their own, and they shut out Rutgers in the second round when they allowed just four shots.North Carolinas depth: Less than two minutes after she entered as a substitute against South Carolina, Madison Schultz placed a bending shot into the corner of the net for the games only goal. A round earlier, Dorian Bailey had been on the field for 10 minutes when she provided the only goal against Clemson. This is what North Carolina does. Subs like Schultz and Bailey played 6,046 minutes for the Tar Heels this season. Subs played 3,500 minutes for their opponents. Thats a difference of more than 100 minutes of fresher legs per game.USCs back line: Way back on Aug. 19, Santa Clara scored three goals in just more than 96 minutes to win its season opener against USC in overtime. In more than 2,000 minutes since, the rest of USCs opponents have combined to score just seven more goals. Auburn (twice), North Carolina, Stanford, Texas A&M and Utah were among those 15 opponents shut out. That isnt done by packing numbers behind the ball, but it also isnt simply the byproduct of USC dominating games at the other end. Mandy Freeman and Ally Prisock are physical center backs comfortable on the ball, and goalkeeper Sammy Jo Prudhomme is as steady as they come.West Virginias Canadians: The NCAA presumably wont play the Canadian anthem before the semifinal, but it should. The starting lineup against Duke included seven Canadians (notable among them is sophomore defender Bianca St. Georges, who just returned from the U-20 World Cup). As with North Carolinas depth, this isnt new. West Virginia nearly reached the College Cup in 2007 with Amanda Cicchini, Deana Everrett headlining another cast of Canadians. But the current group is the most deep and accomplished. It would be a title crafted in Canada.Stars to watchMorgan Andrews, MF, USC: It has been a long journey for the former two-time national high school player of the year. A surprise omission from the United States U-20 team in 2014, having captained the U-17 team in a World Cup two years earlier, she then transferred to USC from Notre Dame after that college season. All shes done since is excel. She has 21 goals in 45 appearances for USC and is the playmaking fulcrum in the center of the midfield.Kadeisha Buchanan, D, West Virginia: Shes played more World Cup minutes than the rest of this field has played College Cup minutes. The same thing is true of her Olympic minutes (as it is for teammate and midfielder Ashley Lawrence). She doesnt have an NCAA title, but she has an Olympic medal. Not since Heather OReilly and Christine Sinclair have we seen College Cup participants already so accomplished on the world stage. She controls games from the back.Rachel Corboz, MF, Georgetown: You can trace Georgetowns rise under coach Dave Nolan through the history of three players: Ingrid Wells, Daphne Corboz and now the younger of the Corboz sisters. As the lineage and family connections suggest, that left Rachel with no small task in carving out her own legacy. But here the Hoyas are in their first College Cup, Rachel the NCAA leader with 16 assists in addition to 11 goals of her own.Lindsey Harris, GK, North Carolina: She wasnt among the all-conference selections, but none of those who were made a save like this in a quarterfinal. Her eight saves in that game pushed her total to 91 on the season, breaking a program record that stood for 36 years. Sure, some of her predecessors on more dominant teams had less work, but Harris saves are a reflection of her athleticism and her presence. There is no goalkeeper rotation with her in form this year.Meet the X factorsMichaela Abam, F, West Virginia: Shes not Canadian. She hasnt played in the World Cup or Olympics. But she can score goals. Abam leads the Mountaineers with 11 goals this season and has 31 in three seasons. She scored the overtime winner in the Sweet 16 against Ohio State, her fourth NCAA tournament goal in the past two seasons. As the work before the perhaps fortunate goal against the Buckeyes highlighted, she isnt just a poacher. She can create goals.Grace Damaska, F, Georgetown: Weve gotten this far without mentioning the player with the most goals of anyone in San Jose. And in a College Cup in which goals appear destined to be precious, that is an oversight. The seniors 14 goals match the output in her first three seasons. Her pace slowed a bit as this season progressed (she had five in a weekend in August), and an illness left her at less than 100 percent in the second and third rounds of the NCAA tournament. But at 5-foot-11, she can score in a lot of ways for the Hoyas.Hanna Gardner, D, North Carolina: The fifth-year senior is the only player in San Jose who has any experience playing in the College Cup. Her 188 minutes of experience are 188 more than the combined total of the hundred-plus other players on hand. As much as the Tar Heels substitute, the three starting defenders are constant and constantly good: Gardner, Julia Ashley and Maggie Bill (also a lacrosse All-American who won a national title earlier this year).Kayla Mills, MF, USC: The Pac-12 defensive player of the year a season ago (Mandy Freeman claimed the honor this season), Mills nonetheless boosted this teams title chances by changing positions. Not only did moving her off the back line open up minutes for impressive freshman Julia Bingham, it gave USC a rock solid defensive midfielder in Mills. Michael Deiter Youth Jersey . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Dan Marino Jersey . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. http://www.authenticdolphinspro.com/Jason-taylor-dolphins-jersey/ .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. Larry Csonka Dolphins Jersey . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. Kenny Stills Womens Jersey . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The bend-but-dont-break defense of the Kansas City Chiefs has so far done an exceptional job of making coach Andy Reid rip out whatever red-tinted fuzz is left of his hair.You see, the Chiefs are masters of giving up yards when it doesnt matter.Theyll give up passes under their coverage, long runs between the tackles, quick crossing routes as opponents drive downfield.When they get close to the end zone? Its a whole different story.The Chiefs have become one of the best teams in the NFL when it comes to red zone defense, a big reason why theyre off to a 2-1 start .Not only do they usually hold opponents to field goals rather than touchdowns, they also have forced a slew of turnovers.We do a good job with that. I dont know why, Reid said. You always talk about the 12th man there, the end zone. Our guys know how to space it out. We worked hard on it at training camp.There was reason for the emphasis. The Chiefs gave up a touchdown on three of every five trips opponents made inside their 20-yard line last season, putting them in the bottom third of the league.Through three games this season? Just three touchdowns on 13 trips.The Chiefs red-zone touchdown rate of 23.1 percent is best in the NFL, just ahead of the New York Giants -- a crucial mark considering only New Orleans and Oakland have allowed more red-zone scoring opportunities.Thats not just bend-but-dont-break. Thats Gumby doing yoga.Reid may not know exactly why Kansas City has become so adept at defending the end zone, but he is willing to hazard a guess. And for a guy who made his bones in the NFL on inventive schemes, studying trends and dissecting film, it only makes sense that he offered an Xs and Os solution.So much of that is just eliminating the seams in there, he said, because theyll just try to pull you apart. You only need a small area to deliver on. Teams will try to pull you apart and test your discipline. Everything is going a little faster down there. Your weaknesses are going to be exploited; your strengths are going to show up.So ffar, the Chiefs biggest weakness is getting pressure on the quarterback, a problem that could be alleviated later this season if star pass rusher Justin Houston returns from knee surgery.ddddddddddddOtherwise, there are a whole bunch of strengths.The defensive front of Dontari Poe, Jaye Howard, Allen Bailey and Chris Jones has been able to plug up the run near the goal line, forcing teams to the air.And when they put it up, one of the most opportunistic secondary groups in the NFL has had a penchant for picking off passes.Three of the six interceptions thrown by the Jets Ryan Fitzpatrick last week were in the end zone.It was all about executing the game plan to a `T, said cornerback Marcus Peters, who had two picks and one of those in the end zone . We dotted our Is and crossed our Ts. We let our pass rush get there, we played underneath, we let our safeties play over the top and we made plays.As a result, the Chiefs have not allowed a touchdown in more than seven quarters.Building on that impressive streak should be a challenge Sunday night, when the Chiefs visit Pittsburgh and a prolific offense led by Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and recently returned LeVeon Bell.The Steelers are fifth in the NFL in percentage of touchdowns scored in the red zone.Our guys, Ill tell you right now, are staying disciplined, Reid said. This will be a good challenge for them because they are good in the red zone. You have to know how to space the field, particularly in the pass game, and then you have to trust it.Game notes CB Marcus Peters, the AFC defensive player of the week, missed practice for the second straight day. He has the flu. ... CB Phillip Gaines was held out of practice because of a knee injury. He was limited in Wednesdays workout. ... OL Jah Reid (knee) and RB Charcandrick West (ankle) also did not practice.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '