April 14, 2023 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – North Carolina Courage News Release
CARY, N.C. – The North Carolina Courage return to WakeMed Soccer Park to resume NWSL action this Saturday, April 15, as they host the Washington Spirit at 7:00 p.m. ET. This rematch of the 2022 Challenge Cup championship will be the first NWSL match to air free on the new Golazo Network from CBS Sports, which can be streamed through the Paramount+ app.
The Matchup
The Courage and Spirit have become quite familiar between NWSL regular season, post-season and being grouped together in the UKG Challenge Cup and the Courage hold a 12-4-4 record in the lifetime series. The Courage are unbeaten in the last five meetings, including last season’s 2-1 win in the Challenge Cup championship match. The Spirit last beat the Courage on November 7, 2021 in the NWSL Quarterfinals during Washington’s run to the league championship.
Both teams are in similar situations in the early portion of 2023. Both rosters are brimming with young, exciting, world-class talent and a bevy of new pieces that will take time to learn and grow together. Mark Parsons, who began his second stint as Spirit head coach this season, has called this a rebuild for his squad while second-year head coach Sean Nahas has preached patience and a teaching mindset for the new-look Courage.
Scouting the Spirit
Washington made a strong statement when they opened the season with a shutout win over the defending Shield winners, OL Reign, at Audi Field. They then split the points in a 2-2 draw at Louisville on April 1, seeing a two-goal lead disappear in the second half. They have a truly dangerous combination at the top of their formation that will ask questions of the Courage defense throughout the night. United States Women’s National Team stars Ashley Hatch, Trinity Rodman, and Ashley Sanchez all pose scoring threats in a moment’s notice and will require constant attention.
Courage Last Time Out
The Courage suffered their first loss of the season two Saturdays ago in San Diego, falling 3-1 to the Wave. The Courage dictated pace and possession for much of the first half, but a transitional moment allowed Jaedyn Shaw to break through and score to ignite the crowd and flip the script. Alex Morgan scored a second-half brace, including a penalty, before Kerolin converted a penalty of her own, her first goal of the season, to get the Courage on the board, but they couldn’t complete the comeback.
Quoting the Courage
Head…