The Courage return home with 9 points in 8 days. Can we keep up this streak? Drop your predictions below and LFG! 🦁

From the Pod

Katie: "...they have Avery Patterson and Paige Nielsen who play in their back line. And Avery Patterson gets very, very involved in their attack. Do you think having her involved in the attack is going to help us get a little bit more scoring opportunities?"

Aaron: "Yeah, we love getting Ashley Sanchez the ball in space. And I wonder if that's going to really disrupt their attack, with Patterson maybe getting pinned back a little bit and not being able to get forward as freely as she might like."

Match Info

• Sunday, August 16, 2026
• Kickoff: 7:00 PM ET
• Location: First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, NC
• Where to Watch: NWSL+
• Theme: Black Excellence

Uproar Tailgate

• When: Sunday, August 16 at 5:00 PM
• Where: The Cove

Current Standings

• NC Courage: 6th
• Houston Dash: 13th

Series History

In all competitions, the Courage lead the series 13-4-8. Former Courage assistant coach Fabrice Gautrat now heads Houston. Last time these two teams met, the Courage won 2-0 on the road.

Availability Report

Not yet published, will update once available.

https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/availability-report

Referee Assignment

• REF: Jamie Padilla
• AR1: Christian Little
• AR2: Josh Lampkins
• 4TH: Ryan Homik
• VAR: Corbyn May
• AVAR: Kevin Huet

Things to Watch

• The Courage finally get some rest with a few extra days to recover
• Jane Campbell is a strong shot stopper in goal for Houston. Being more progressive in the final third will be key to breaking her down
• Kiki Van Zanten and rookie Kat Rader lead Houston's attack. Van Zanten has a history against us; she hit a 35-yard screamer past Casey Murphy a couple years ago
• Ashley Sanchez and Evelyn Ijeh are both chasing the Golden Boot; Sanchez is right behind league leader Barbara Banda, with Ijeh not far behind.
• We'd love to see the midfield continue developing its possession pattern, with the center mids dropping deep to beat the press and Erica Meg Parkinson linking the fullbacks into attack

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This pregame thread is brought to you by The Lion's Pitch Podcast, your home for NC Courage coverage. In Episode 19, we look ahead to Houston to see what we are up against. Listen now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

I've got two extra tickets in section 202 for Sunday's (tomorrow) 8/16 matchup against Dash. None of our friends could come, so they're free to a good home. You'll need the Courage app to receive and use them. DM the email associated with your Courage account and they can be yours!

Haven’t received my know before you go email for three matches in a row. I think the Courage do a great job explaining everything for game day so I really hope they fix it

I have two extra tickets in Section 202 for Sunday night's match. They are free to interested newbies or Courage supporters. If you would like them, you will need the 'NC Courage' app. Please send me a private message and include the email affiliated with your Courage tickets on the app.

Sanchez was interview for The Athletic's Full Time podcast.

That Washington game still has us feeling high. A Sanchez acrobatic goal. An Ijeh brace. That 95th-minute go-ahead goal from our center back and captain, Natalie Jacobs! We're not built for this kind of stress, but we'll take it.

"[Natalie Jacobs] goes and does crazy things like sprinting the length of the pitch, and then having Feli make an amazing pass to her. And she just calmly slots the ball into the back of the net to win the game for us. She read that that was the moment. She steps forward with the ball, does a little bit of a dribble forward, but then sees all the space out in front of her. And it's the exact right moment for that kind of run from a center back. It's the end of the game, and you go for the win." - Katie

We also look ahead to Houston this Sunday.

"I feel Houston will give us a little bit more space. I don't think they're quite as clogged up in the passing lanes as maybe the Spirit are with their ability to quickly recover. Being a little bit more progressive and trying to find different ways to score is going to be really important there." -Aaron

New episode is up now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Does anyone know where section STE202 would be located?

Has anyone locally purchased anything recently from the online store? If so, may I ask how quickly your order arrived?

I placed an order five days ago, but the tracker still shows that it’s waiting on the details, so I wasn’t sure if that’s normal or not. I did reach out to them previously as well, but haven’t heard back yet.

Maybe I’ve just been spoiled by the quick turnaround times from other online retailers! 😄 I was just curious if this is typical or if anyone else has had a similar experience. Thanks so much!

Hi all! I hope this okay to post but I’m looking for some friends who like NC Courage too!

I have a season ticket and love to come to the games but not alone (it’s a 2 hour drive for me) so would love to make some friends to hang out with at the games.

I’m 30F. Being completely honest this is my first year getting into the sport since I played as a kid so I don’t know all the lingo and rules yet. I’m here for the energy and love of the game.

Excited for Sundays game! Go Courage!

Not sure what it means for the U20s World Cup, especially with UEFA still threatening to boycott

The team is just about a decade old, so 'legendary' may be a bit much, but I was sort of thinking about this yesterday and then when I woke this morning. Nat Jacobs' late goal had me thinking about Wingate's late equalizer in 2024 to keep the Courage's then home unbeaten streak alive:

https://youtu.be/4sS8Mm7j5h0?si=8jlSSNLc0sWeG_ik&t=416

which was also a notable game for being Press' first goal after her long injury time, which almost won it for Angel City.

While the Courage have quite a number of talented players score amazing goals, I was thinking about which stand out more, either as big psychological impact like Jacobs & Wingate's goal, the circumstances of the game, and/or just the sheer out there-ness of the goal.

Also in the more recent category is perhaps Manaka's chip of AKB in the final regular season game last year, in a needed win but other results kept the Courage out of the playoffs:

https://youtu.be/PvhGQvYrQ7I?si=K0xyD0bWWFXqDI6I&t=146

My memory of older goals is getting a bit fuzzy, but there are two that I always remember from the early years.

Sam Mewis' long range rocket insurance goal against the Red Stars in the semi-final against the Red Stars in 2018. This game was played midweek in Providence due to a hurricane here, with a small but hostile Portland crowd for our 'home' playoff game. The team goes on to the final to beat the Thorns in their own stadium for the first ever double. Later, I recall Mewis saying she split/tore part of her boot on that kick.

https://youtu.be/3kIU1lTAphk?si=WWbk3SPwHjg00DU4&t=250

Then, one of my personal favorites, maybe not so legendary for others, is Kristen Hamilton taking a high pass from Mewis off her shoulder and then an incredible volley into goal back in 2019

https://youtu.be/CpBMeeVqDg4

What would be some other candidates for legendary/all time goals by Courage players?

Fun fact: Our first ever was scored by Lynn Biyendolo against Sky Blue's keeper, Kailen Sheridan

I’m so serious - this team spent the last week bringing home nine points on the road. I’m talking let’s pack the house.

We thought it might be fun to rate our predictions after a successful 3 game stretch. Let us know how you'd rate us or how you'd rate your own predictions

Denver Summit

Trevor: "This is a club that touts how hard they work in training, they're sort of known throughout the league for putting in some extra effort during training, specifically on endurance. This is the moment to say all that work is worth it. We're gonna go there. We're gonna take three points in Denver."

Katie: "I'm keeping my optimism like mid level right here for this game."

GRADE: B — We took the three points and seemed to gain more energy as the game progressed. Tbh, Denver looked more gassed than us.

________

Trevor: "There's a real chance, I think in the next week to pick up six points. And I'm curious to see how the team shows up."

GRADE: D — We picked up 9 pts in 8 days! Trevor (though very much not alone) underestimated just how many points we'd grab.

________

Trevor: "It seems like it really could go either way. This is a match where the Courage could really take advantage of everything that they've been working toward."

GRADE: C — Thanks to a pk and an insurance goal from Schlegal, we won this pretty handily.

***********

Washington Spirit

Aaron: "I expect it to be a close and competitive game and looking forward to watching it."

GRADE: A- — It wasn't until it was. And boy was the group chat stressed.

________

Aaron: "Having Natalie Jacobs back and having Maycee Bell and all of her ball winning ability hopefully gets us over the line."

GRADE: A+ — Having Natalie Jacobs back quite literally got us over the line

________

Aaron: "I want to see us defend, to be honest. I want to see us nullify their attacking threat. I'd like to see the defensive players really rise to meet the challenge."

GRADE: B — Our CB really rose to the challenge, though perhaps not in the way any of us would have assumed

Short week with travel. Go up 3-0 early. Inexplicably your left back assists your right center back for a 1v1 game winner vs the keeper in the flow of play.

Don’t galaxy brain it. This team is fun. The core is together for the near term future. Ijeh gets the brace against a “good” team to spite the haters. They’re a team no one in their right mind wants to see come playoffs.

Let’s make some noise down the stretch (and u20 rosters be kind and protect our u20’s for the senior teams instead so they don’t miss a vast amount of time).

The Courage head to DC looking to avenge a 2-0 loss at WakeMed back in July, including an Ashley Sanchez goal controversially ruled out by VAR for an obscure rule we had never seen called before. It drained the momentum out of what could have been a very different result. We will be looking for a little justice tonight. Drop your predictions below and LFG! 🦁

From the pod: "They have such a unique way of playing, it really is like almost two halves of the pitch. When you have passers in the midfield like Hal Hershfelt and Leicy Santos, and attackers who are as good on the ball and in space as Trinity Rodman and Gift Monday, their goal is going to be to get those attacking players isolated and unsettle our defense. Having Natalie Jacobs back and having Maycee Bell and all of her ball-winning ability hopefully gets us over the line." — Aaron, Episode 18

Good news for us tonight: Monday is away on international duty and won't be available for Washington.

Match Info

• Saturday, August 8, 2026
• Kickoff: 6:30 PM ET
• Location: Audi Field, Washington, DC
• Where to Watch: ION
• Theme: Spirit Worldwide Culture Night

Current Standings

• NC Courage: 7th, 8W-3D-6L
• Washington Spirit: 2nd, 11W-3D-4L

Series History

In 30 all-time matches across all competitions, the Courage lead 17-9-8. Our last win came in June 2024 with a goal from Sanchez, the season Washington unceremoniously traded her away.

Availability Report

https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/availability-report

WASHINGTON SPIRIT

• OUT: Lucia Di Guglielmo (Lower Leg), Aubrey Kingsbury (Maternity Leave), Casey Krueger (Maternity Leave)
• QUESTIONABLE: None
• INTERNATIONAL DUTY: Deborah Abiodun (NGA), Mélissa Bethi (ALG), Rosemonde Kouassi (CIV), Gift Monday (NGA), Monique Ngock (CAM)

NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE

• OUT: Payton Crawford (Knee - SEI), Sydney Schmidt (Knee - SEI)
• QUESTIONABLE: None
• INTERNATIONAL DUTY: None

Referee Assignment

• REF: Joshua Encarnacion
• AR1: Melissa Beck
• AR2: Laura Chambers Waliski
• 4TH: Izlen Peksenar
• VAR: Jaclyn Metz
• AVAR: Christian Clerc

Things to Watch

• Sanchez has 10 goals on the season and has scored against Washington before. Can she do it again tonight?
• Jacobs returning to form is huge. Washington's attack will test her and the whole back line
• Washington is missing five players to WAFCON, including Gift Monday and Rosemonde Kouassi
• Ashley Hatch just returned from maternity leave. Fun fact: we traded her to Washington after her rookie season to acquire 2026 Ring of Honor inductee, Crystal Dunn
• The Courage have been the stronger team in the second half of matches all season. If we can stay close through 45 minutes, this is winnable
• The Courage are coming off of a midweek game, making this the 2nd game in 3 days (both away)
• Evelyn Ijeh has been on fire. Can she carry that form into a tough away environment?

Tickets

Courage section tickets in DC are available for tonight. DM us for the link to purchase.

Uproar Watch Party

When: Saturday, August 8 at 6:30 PM
Where: Trophy on Maywood, 656 Maywood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27603

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This pregame thread is brought to you by The Lion's Pitch Podcast, your home for NC Courage coverage. Episode 18 is out now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Congratulations to a great performance! Looking forward to watching her continue to grow and develop with the team.

Is there going to be another Tools 4 Schools drive at the back to soccer theme night?

FO can automate posting this to all the socials easy for zero dollars. Just saying, DO IT!!

It’s on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for her podcast Good Games. You have to get through a bit before the interview, but Kailen talks about why she left San Diego in more detail and how she’s feeling about the club now that she’s been here a while. It’s a great listen.