Cary, N.C. (March 8, 2024) – The North Carolina Courage and The Soccer Tournament (TST) today jointly announce the NWSL club will sponsor a team in the women’s bracket of the 7v7 winner-take-all tournament at WakeMed Soccer Park June 7-10.
Jessica McDonald, who was recently hired by the Courage as a club ambassador, will serve as team captain and is actively recruiting players to represent the home team at the second iteration of TST this summer. No players from the current NWSL roster will participate in the tournament. “I am so excited to be involved in the TST this year and to be leading the NC Courage team. Last year, it was one of the most exciting events in global football, and being able to captain the Courage team will be the greatest honor. I can’t wait to line up at Wake Med park again with some of my favorite teammates and other high level players from around the world. Courage fans- please come out and support us! A massive local support of fans will give us a big advantage in the tournament- and we can’t wait to work with this team towards another trophy and a $1 million prize,” McDonald said. “We are so excited to take part in this incredible event again this year. The 2023 event brought soccer fans from all over the world to Cary and was a great opportunity to showcase the passion for the sport here in the Triangle. With so many people coming through WakeMed Soccer Park and even more watching on major television networks, this is great brand exposure. And, of course, we are confident we will have a team primed to compete for the cash prize,” said Courage President Francie Gottsegen. The Courage is the third team announced from the eight-team women’s field after Heather O’Reilly’s US Women and SoccerHead FC. TST’s entire event will take place June 5-10, with the women’s bracket running June 7-10. The eight competing women’s teams will be split into two groups of four, with group play commencing June 7-8. Two teams will advance from each group to the semifinals on June 9. The inaugural women’s bracket will conclude with a $1 million winner-take-all championship game on June 10. On Tuesday, TST announced that ESPN had acquired the media rights for the tournament, including select women’s group stage games, the semifinals and championship. The inaugural TST included globally renowned clubs such as Wrexham AFC, Borussia Dortmund, West Ham, Wolverhampton, and sports stars like Clint Dempsey, Steve Nash, Cesc Fabregas, and Chad Johnson, among others. More than 25 players with U.S. National Team experience and a combined 1,444 caps on both the men’s and women’s side competed in the event, including Heather O’Reilly, Kirstine Lilly, Jermaine Jones, Eddie Johnson, Geoff Cameron, Jimmy Conrad, Chris Wondolowski, Brek Shea, and more. TST, which is an open-entry event, received nearly 400 applicants for its 2023 tournament. Fans can now purchase all-sessions passes for TST 2024, or sign up for the single-session waitlist at https://thetournament.com/tst/tickets.
ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE
The North Carolina Courage begin their eighth season of competition in 2024 since beginning play in the National Women’s Soccer League (USSF Division I) in 2017. The Courage were formed after Steve Malik purchased the Western New York Flash and relocated the franchise to Cary, North Carolina, and play their home games at WakeMed Soccer Park. The Courage are the winningest club in NWSL history, claiming seven league trophies as three-time NWSL Shield winners (2017, 2018, 2019), two-time NWSL Champions (2018, 2019), and two-time UKG NWSL Challenge Cup champions (2022, 2023). The Courage also won the 2018 ICC Championship. Follow the Courage on the web at www.nccourage.com and on social media @TheNCCourage.
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT
Founded in 2014, The Tournament specializes in hosting high-stakes, open-application sporting events distributed across the world. Its first property, The Basketball Tournament (TBT), has crowned ten champions, awarded more than $13 million in prizes, and ushered in innovations such as the Elam Ending®. Launched in June 2023, The Soccer Tournament (TST) marked The Tournament’s expansion beyond basketball. TST’s Women’s Tournament will be its inaugural women’s event. For more information on The Tournament and its properties, visit TheTournament.com.
