NWSL North Carolina Courage

NC Courage Preview at Portland Thorns (August 20)

Published on August 19, 2023 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
North Carolina Courage News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - The top two teams in the NWSL table collide as the league-leading North Carolina Courage visit the Portland Thorns on Sunday, August 20, at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 PT) at Providence Park. The match ends a six-week hiatus from league play around the Women's World Cup.

The Courage will begin to get reinforcements as players return from the Women's World Cup, but the club will take a measured approach in reassimilation and be mindful of the players' physical and mental wellbeing. Captain Denise O'Sullivan, who came directly from Australia last week, should be ready to wear the armband once again for her club, but at the very least her presence at training and in the locker room has been a boost for a roster that not only held the standard, but raised it, while missing six key pieces for a month.

With seven matches remaining in the regular season, the Courage find themselves in pole position for the Shield. But a grueling schedule awaits over the final two months of the campaign. The team will be on the road four of their seven matches, including two west coast trips, and five of the contests are against teams currently in the top six in the league standings. Sunday's top-two showdown is important for table positioning, but a solid performance - regardless of result - will go a long way for the confidence of this young Courage team that has already far surpassed external expectations this season.

The Courage lead the NWSL with eight clean sheets in the regular season. The team went 460 minutes without conceding a goal, holding opponents off the board from the 8' on June 3 in Kansas City through the 18' on July 10 in Los Angeles. The streak is longest in the NWSL this season and ranks fifth all-time in league history. The Courage have not conceded at home, in all competitions, since the 83' against Portland on May 6 (637 minutes / 457 regular season).

The Matchup

The Courage are 7W-3L-4D in lifetime regular season matches with Portland. The teams played to a thrilling 3-3 draw in front of over 7,000 fans at WakeMed Soccer Park back in May, with the Courage taking three leads only to be answered thrice by the visitors. A fast start may be key to Sunday's match. The Courage have lost all four matches in which they've conceded first while the Thorns are winless in five contests in which they've allowed the opening goal (3D, 2L).

Scouting Portland

The offensive juggernaut has eye-popping numbers despite just one goal in two July matches without the World Cup stars. Portland leads the NWSL in goals (34), shots (224), and total big chances (45). Portland is extremely accurate and efficient in their goes at goal, despite their volume. The Thorns put 51.8% of their shots on target, which ranks second in the league, and they've converted more than half of their big chances.

Portland is second in both passing accuracy (77.5) and successful passes (5,062) while ranking third in possession (53.0). The Courage lead the NWSL in all three categories by a wide margin.

With the Courage having a slight edge in possessional play and the Thorns with the most potent attack in the league, it's no wonder these two teams lead the league. It's fair to expect a back-and-forth match like the 'Game of the Year' candidate in Cary back in May. This one will be a must-watch across the league on Sunday night.

Check out the North Carolina Courage Statistics

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from August 19, 2023


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