ORLANDO, Fla. (April 18, 2023) — The North Carolina Courage begin their UKG Challenge Cup title defense this week with their opening match of the group stage, facing the Orlando Pride on Wednesday, April 19, at 7:00 p.m. ET at Exploria Stadium. The first midweek action of the year will stream on Paramount+ and Courage social media will provide in-game updates.
The Courage did not lose in the 2022 Challenge Cup, going 3-0-3 to win the group, then downing Kansas City on the road in the semifinals before beating Washington, 2-1, in the championship. Overall, the Courage are on a 10-game unbeaten streak in Challenge Cup play dating back to 2021; the longest undefeated streak of any team in Challenge Cup history. The Courage beat Orlando twice in pool play during last year’s cup and have won the Division in two of the first three Challenge Cups. This year’s format is altered from the previous three, running concurrent to the regular season.
The Matchup
The Courage are 11-4-4 in all lifetime meetings with Pride, including a 6-1-1 mark on the road. Both teams have played three NWSL regular season games, with the Courage coming off a tough-luck 2-1 loss to Washington to fall to 1-2-0 while the Pride have conceded late goals in each of their last two matches, including the latest goal in NWSL history by Katie Johnson of Angel City, and are off to an 0-3-0 start to the year. Both teams are hoping to use the midweek matchup to spark momentum.
Scouting the Pride
Orlando is coming off a 10th place finish (5-10-7, 22 points) from last season, but have added some key pieces for Seb Hines, who had the interim tag removed over the offseason to take over the technical side full time. International superstar Marta’s return from injury and the additions of her fellow Brazilian Adriana plus exciting draft picks Emily Madril and Messiah Bright bring a ton of optimism for a bounce back season. Orlando had a tough test to open their new season, visiting reigning champions Portland. A lopsided loss didn’t damper the team’s spirits as they returned home to take the highly talented Angel City to the very end, but Johnson’s goal separated the tie at the bitter end, spoiling Bright’s first professional goal.
Players to Watch
NC Courage: Defender Kaleigh Kurtz (#3) A reigning NWSL iron woman, Kurtz has played all 270 minutes of the 2023 season at center back for the Courage. She made a key header stop in added time of the first half on Saturday to keep the match level before the break and has 13 clearances while holding a 100% tackle success rate. She’s passing at 80% and has won nearly half her duels. With a back line that has undergone plenty of restructuring, the consistency and leadership of KK is a much-needed calming presence. While Orlando has scored just once this season, they have some talented young forwards and can put pressure on the middle of the defense. Orlando: Forward Adriana (#9) Following the trend of Brazilian stars joining the NWSL, the Pride signed Brazilian National Team standout Adriana ahead of the 2023 season. While “The Wizard” is yet to find the back of the net in her new league, she is Corinthians’ second all-time leading scorer with 72 goals and had four goals and four assists across 10 competitions for Brazil in 2022. She’s appeared in four international matches this calendar year, including all three in the She Believes Cup. The 26-year-old sets the tone for the Pride’s pressure and defensive shape, with an 86% tackle success rate while winning over 50% of duels and aerial duels.
Next Up
The Courage resume NWSL regular season action this weekend as they swing up the east coast to visit NJ/NY Gotham FC on Saturday, April 22. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from Red Bull Arena with the game streaming live on Paramount+ and @TheNCCourage providing live updates before, during and after the match.
