April 22, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Washington Spirit News Release
Cary, NC – The Washington Spirit will face the North Carolina Courage on Saturday afternoon in both clubs’ sixth Challenge Cup match at 1:00 p.m. EST at WakeMed Soccer Park. The match will be broadcast on CBS for fans in the United States and on Twitch for international viewers. Both squads are coming off two-goal wins: the Spirit took down NJ/NY Gotham FC by a 3-1 margin last weekend after the Courage staved off an Orlando Pride rally 4-2.
The Opposition
North Carolina once again finds itself atop the table, holding an unbeaten record of 3-0-2 through its first five matches. Despite the phenomenal start, the Courage is in danger of missing out on the Challenge Cup semifinals with a loss on Saturday. The Courage, known for its run of three straight NWSL Shields since the club’s inception and back-to-back league championships in 2018 and 2019, surprisingly has not fared well through the first two editions of the Challenge Cup. North Carolina lost in the tournament quarterfinals in 2020 and failed to make it out of group play in 2021.
Since North Carolina’s first season in the NWSL in 2017, the side holds a 10-4-2 record against the Spirit, including a 5-1 record at home and a 2-0-1 head-to-head record in the Challenge Cup. All eyes will be on Courage star Debinha, the all-time leader in Challenge Cup goals with seven, as the club goes head-to-head with the defending champions and 2022 Challenge Cup co-leader in goals scored with four, Trinity Rodman.
Halftime of the first matchup between these two sides served as a turning point for the Spirit, who struggled to put the ball past the goalkeeper in its first two and a half games. Since halftime of the March 30 match, Washington has put up nine goals after only managing one goal in its first two and a half games. The Courage, however, has been much more consistent with five goals before and after the 45-minute mark on March 30….