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NWSL North Carolina Courage

Preview: Courage Visit OL Reign Sunday

September 30, 2023 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
North Carolina Courage News Release


SEATTLE - The North Carolina Courage play their penultimate road match of the 2023 NWSL regular season as they visit OL Reign this Sunday, October 1, for an 8:00 p.m. ET (5 PT) kickoff at Lumen Field. The Courage look to remain in the top four in the league standings and earn a season sweep of the defending Shield winners.

The Courage, who had two extra matches added to their calendar with the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup semifinals and then final, fell to a well-rested Orlando side, 2-1, two Sundays ago at Exploria Stadium. Challenge Cup MVP, 19-year-old Manaka, scored her first regular season goal to spark the comeback attempt, but a late red card saw the Courage down a player and goal in the final minutes and they were unable to find an equalizer.

Center back Malia Berkely will be suspended for this week's match after a straight red card decision for denial of a goal scoring opportunity. It was the second red card shown to the Courage this season, both of which have come after the FIFA World Cup break.

The Courage control their own destiny for a playoff spot and home playoff fixture. They are also well within the running for a first-round bye - which is earned by the top two seeds - and pursuit of the NWSL Shield. The Courage are just four points behind league-leading Portland, but the standings are extremely compact across the board; the top ten teams are separated by just nine points and not a single team is mathematically eliminated from playoff positioning. With a myriad of possibilities, the Courage can focus only on the task at hand.

In addition to continuously leading the league in passing accuracy, possession and successful passes, the Courage have also risen to rank second in the NWSL in both team goals (27) and assists (21). The growth of the offense within a style that has also produced eight clean sheets in league play has the Courage confident they can go toe-to-toe with anyone in this league and, with a trophy already on the shelf, can compete for two more prizes in 2023.

OL Reign hopes some home cooking will help them continue to climb the standings late. They play back-to-back home fixtures before a trip to Chicago to end the season. The Reign have a pair of wins and a draw in their last three home matches, but those wins are the only two since the calendar turned to July. With a heavy travel schedule over the last two months, the defending Shield winners have done well to stay in striking distance.

One major story line around the Reign is the retirement of USWNT and NWSL legend Megan Rapinoe, who is slated to play her final match against the Courage, barring a post-season meeting. The Courage will look get their first win in Seattle since 2018 and complete the season sweep. With the standings as tight as they are, every point will be critical over the final three weeks of the season.

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from September 30, 2023


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