Match Info:
North Carolina Courage (1-1-0, 3 points) vs. Washington Spirit (1-0-1, 4 points)
Saturday, April 15, at 7 p.m. ET | WakeMed Soccer Park | Cary, North Carolina
Coverage:
[Live Stats](https://www.nwslsoccer.com/game/north-carolina-courage-vs-washington-spirit-2023-04-15/stats?utm_source=sendinblue&utm_campaign=PREVIEW NCC vs WAS 415&utm_medium=email) (NWSL)
Broadcast: Golazo Network / Paramount+
Social Media: @TheNCCourage
CARY, N.C. (April 14, 2023) – The North Carolina Courage return to WakeMed Soccer Park to resume NWSL action this Saturday, April 15, as they host the Washington Spirit at 7:00 p.m. ET. This rematch of the 2022 Challenge Cup championship will be the first NWSL match to air free on the new [Golazo Network](https://www.cbssports.com/promotions/cbs-sports-golazo-network-how-to-watch-the-first-of-its-kind-24-hour-streaming-soccer-network/?utm_source=sendinblue&utm_campaign=PREVIEW NCC vs WAS 415&utm_medium=email) from CBS Sports, which can be streamed through the Paramount+ app.
The Matchup
The Courage and Spirit have become quite familiar between NWSL regular season, post-season and being grouped together in the UKG Challenge Cup and the Courage hold a 12-4-4 record in the lifetime series. The Courage are unbeaten in the last five meetings, including last season’s 2-1 win in the Challenge Cup championship match. The Spirit last beat the Courage on November 7, 2021 in the NWSL Quarterfinals during Washington’s run to the league championship.
Both teams are in similar situations in the early portion of 2023. Both rosters are brimming with young, exciting, world-class talent and a bevy of new pieces that will take time to learn and grow together. Mark Parsons, who began his second stint as Spirit head coach this season, has called this a rebuild for his squad while second-year head coach Sean Nahas has preached patience and a teaching mindset for the new-look Courage.
Scouting the Spirit
Washington made a strong statement when they opened the season with a shutout win over the defending Shield winners, OL Reign, at Audi Field. They then split the points in a 2-2 draw at Louisville on April 1, seeing a two-goal lead disappear in the second half. They have a truly dangerous combination at the top of their formation that will ask questions of the Courage defense throughout the night. United States Women’s National Team stars Ashley Hatch, Trinity Rodman, and Ashley Sanchez all pose scoring threats in a moment’s notice and will require constant attention.
Courage Last Time Out
The Courage suffered their first loss of the season two Saturdays ago in San Diego, falling 3-1 to the Wave. The Courage dictated pace and possession for much of the first half, but a transitional moment allowed Jaedyn Shaw to break through and score to ignite the crowd and flip the script. Alex Morgan scored a second-half brace, including a penalty, before Kerolin converted a penalty of her own, her first goal of the season, to get the Courage on the board, but they couldn’t complete the comeback.
Quoting the Courage
Sean Nahas on the Spirit match up:
“I think both groups are quite similar in terms of their current situations, which I think is healthy. Mark’s going to implement how he wants to play. It takes time. He’s got a young group too. He’s got three, four dangerous deadly weapons. They also have good pieces of the puzzle, young pieces of the puzzle as well. So, you know, I think he, he’s slowly layering in his aspects of how they want to play. Just like we are. We’re not going to change much of what we do and I think both groups are approaching it the same way”
Nahas insights on this week training:
“We’ve only had one training session really this week and last week had a good week with all the internationals gone. It was a good week last week, but I think we’re raring to get everyone back and get them back in the camp, get the group back together. But you know, it’s still not ideal when you’re preparing for a match and you don’t have your team. So,we’ve done the best we could, but the players’ attitudes been brilliant. Energy’s been great. We gave them a couple of days off in the middle just for the holiday and reset and now I think they’re ready to play again.”
Nahas on honoring Denise O’Sullivan:
“Sully is a critical cog in our wheel. She’s one of the few veterans we have and she’s a great leader. She understands the process, she understands what it’s like. She loves wearing the jersey, she represents the club the right way regardless of good, bad, or indifferent. To have her get her hundredth here, and we, I’m not going to repeat the story that everyone knows, you know, obviously when she got waived by Houston, it was a blessing and disguise for us. She’s turned into one of the best center midfielders in the world for a reason, and it’s the work she puts in every single day. It’s her attitude, it’s her approach with her teammates, the approach with the staff. She takes nothing for granted. It was a proud moment to see her get her hundredth with Ireland. And now even more so here.”
Meredith Speck on the match up:
“Obviously they’re going to be well coached. We know that. When Mark was with Portland, we felt that we had a rivalry with Portland and now he’s taken over the spirit. I would say that, you know, they’re definitely a team we play all the time, so we’re familiar with them. I think style of play and personnel wise, we worked a lot on dealing with their counter press and that’s kind of what we also are going to aim to do, just like this season with the personnel that we have. So it’s going to be similar styles of play between two younger teams that are athletic and exciting and kind of want to get after it. I think it’s going to be a really fun, enjoyable game.”
Players to Watch
North Carolina Courage – #10 Denise O’Sullivan
All eyes will be on the Courage captain before the ball even kicks off. The Courage will honor O’Sullivan for 100 appearances in a Courage uniform between NWSL regular season and post-season matches. O’Sullivan has been clinical in the Courage midfield through the first two contests, playing all 180 minutes and passing at 83.3% accuracy. Her tenacity on the field and leadership by example have been a driving force for this young team between the lines and, after a great showing with the Irish National Team last week against the United States, she will be a key presence both on the field and in the locker room.
Washington Spirit – #10 Ashley Hatch
In the pick-your-poison scenario that is the Spirit attack, the center forward Hatch has been the early standout in production. She’s scored twice, once with each foot, recording a brace in the Spirit draw with Louisville. She’s rattled off six shots in two matches – four of which have been on frame. Hatch was the substitute center forward for the United States in both matches with Ireland this past international window and is certainly in the mix for a World Cup roster spot. Hatch will look to make an impression in this key stretch leading up to the final World Cup decisions. Her first chance to make a statement comes Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park.
Next Up
The Courage begin a three-match road swing as they travel south to Orlando for their first UKG 2023 Challenge Cup match of the season, facing off with the Pride on Wednesday, April 18, at 7:00 p.m. ET at Exploria Stadium. The game will stream live on Paramount+ and @TheNCCourage will provide live updates via social media.
