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North Carolina vs. Chicago Red Stars, August 20, 2022

Aug 23, 2022

by Katie Cleary

Main Takeaways


On Sunday, the Courage defeated the Chicago Red Stars in dominant fashion 4-0. Most importantly the Courage got a much needed win, their third of the season and also kept a clean sheet for the second time this year. This looked like the most complete game the Courage have played this year.


Game Recap


Pinto, O'Sullivan, Debinha, and Fuka seemed to control the midfield from the start, continually linking up with Kerolin and Ordonez, and taking pressure off our backline. The Courage backline only allowed 3 shots on target, which is a vast improvement from the two previous games with 8 and 11 shots on target allowed.


This game saw quite a few firsts, starting with Fuka getting her first NWSL start, as well as, her first NWSL goal and assist. She scored in the 64th minute, tapping the ball in after a bit of a scramble in front of goal.

Rylee Baisden also got her first NWSL goal in the 88th minute slotting the ball in the corner past a diving Naeher, with a great assist from Kerolin. Kerolin spent most of the game driving right into Chicago's backline and she was able to draw a defender which left Rylee wide open in the box.    

Diana Ordóñez got her third brace of the season and 10th goal, scoring in the 10th and 74th minutes. Her goal in the 10th minute came from a corner, in which she headed it into the corner just past Naeher and was assisted by Carson Pickett. The goal in the 74th minute was assisted by Fuka (her first of the season). This is Diana's 5th straight game in which she has scored in, and firmly puts her in the golden boot race with plenty of games left to overtake those ahead of her.

The Courage play again on Wednesday, August 24 at 7 PM and look to continue the momentum from this game when they take on the Portland Thorns. Soon after the half-time break, the Courage doubled their lead in the 49th minute thanks to Ratcliffe’s first goal of the season. Merritt Mathias played a perfectly weighted cross into Ratcliffe, who beat a diving Emily Boyd with a one-touch finish.

Get Tickets for NC Courage
By Mary Pruter 02 Apr, 2023
Courage fell 3-1 and looked like the team we expected to see going into this season. But, officiating adventures aside, the Beach Waffles were the better side and deserved the three points. This loss is one of what is sure to be many learning experiences for a young team.
North Carolina vs. Kansas City Current, March 25, 2023
29 Mar, 2023
So what does the Courage look like without Debinha, Abby Erceg, and Merritt Mathias and with a bunch of largely-untested young talent?
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