Notes & Quotes: NC Courage vs. Portland Thorns
NWSL North Carolina Courage

Notes & Quotes: NC Courage vs. Portland Thorns

Published on August 15, 2025 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
North Carolina Courage News Release


CARY, N.C. - The North Carolina Courage return to First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park to reignite the old rivalry with the Portland Thorns on Saturday, August 16, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast on ION and tickets are available here.

The match will be the Courage's SpongeBob SquarePants Back to School Night. In conjunction with the back-to-school theme, the Courage will honor their Lauren Holiday Impact Award nominee, Hannah Betfort, for her work with WakeEd, a local education-focused nonprofit.

The match will include a school supply drive benefiting Tools4Schols, WakeEd's free classroom supply store for Wake County Public School teachers. Drop off locations for supplies will be located at the Northeast and Southeast gates. Each person who donates school supplies will receive a $10 merchandise voucher.

The Courage enter Saturday's match in ninth place in the NWSL standings, sitting just below the playoff line with a 5W-6L-4D record and 19 points. Match day 15 saw the Courage fall, 2-1, against the Houston Dash with Sophie Schmidt finding the winner in stoppage time. Riley Jackson scored the lone goal of the match for the Courage, converting from the penalty spot in the first half.

Courage captain Denise O'Sullivan has continued her run of stellar midfield play this season. The Irish international leads the league in tackles won and ranks third in duels won, while also completing 85.07% of her passes and creating 12 chances. The Courage's do-it-all midfield maestro has also played every minute of the regular season so far, one of four North Carolina players to do so through 15 matches.

The midfield battle between O'Sullivan and Portland captain Sam Coffey will be one to watch in the match. The two have been the best and most consistent ball-winning midfielders in the league over the last few seasons. According to Opta, O'Sullivan has won 119 tackles and won possession 498 times since the start of the 2023 season, both most in the NWSL, with Portland's Sam Coffey second in both categories over that time.

The Thorns head into the weekend following a dominant, 4-2, win over the Seattle Reign that saw Portland leapfrog their Cascadia rival in the standings, moving up to fifth with a 7-4-4 record and 25 points.

Coffey (PK), Reilyn Turner, Reyna Reyes, and Pietra Tordin all found the back of the net for the Thorns in that win. Turner and Tordin have been an effective 1-2 punch for the Thorns this season with a combined nine goals, while Jessie Fleming has been the creative engine with four assists and 16 chances created. Olivia Moultrie leads the team in chances created with 29.

The first meeting between the Courage and Thorns in late March ended in a 0-0 draw, but the Courage lead the all-time regular season series with an 8-5-5 record. The two sides have also met twice in the NWSL Championship, with the Thorns winning in 2017 and the Courage winning in 2018.

The Details

What they'll wear:

Courage - Field: Blue/Blue/Blue | GK: Lavender

Thorns- Field: Red/Red/Red | GK: Green

2025 Records:

Courage - W5-6L-4D (9th, 19 points)

Thorns - 7W-4L-4D (5th, 25 points)

Courage vs. Thorns (Regular Season): 8W-5L-5D

Last time out:

Courage - 2-1 Loss, at Houston Dash

Thorns- 4-2 Win, vs Seattle Reign

Up next:

The Courage are back on the road, taking on the Chicago Stars on Friday, August 22, at 8 p.m. ET.

Check out the North Carolina Courage Statistics

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from August 15, 2025


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