When: Saturday, August 2 | Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET | Watch: ION | Where: First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary, N.C.)
CARY, N.C. (Aug. 1, 2025) — The North Carolina Courage return to NWSL regular season action against the San Diego Wave FC on Saturday, August 2, at 7:30 p.m. ET at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. Tickets are available here and the match will be broadcast on ION.
The match will be the Courage’s Best of NC Night, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield NC, celebrating all the things that make North Carolina great. The match will also celebrate Courage mascot Roary’s birthday.
The Courage enter the second half of the regular season in ninth place with a 5W-5L-3D record and 18 points. With 13 games to be played, the middle of the standings is a hotly contested battle for playoff position, with just nine points separating 11th from third.
The Courage ended the first half of the season on a two-match winning streak, taking down Angel City and the Houston Dash in back-to-back 2-1 wins. The team maintained that momentum through the summer, drawing Tigres, 0-0, and beating Chivas de Guadalajara, 4-0, in a pair of international exhibitions against Liga MX Femenil clubs.
Tyler Lussi, Ashley Sanchez, Brooklyn Courtnall, and Aline Gomes all found the back of the net in the win over Chivas. The match also marked the return of defender Sydney Collins after more than a year on the season-ending injury list.
Manaka Matsukubo led the way for the Courage heading into the break, scoring or assisting in five straight matches. The Japanese national team forward leads the team in both goals and assists with four each. Through the first half of the season, Manaka was the only player in the league with at least four of each.
San Diego enters Saturday’s matchup with a 7-3-3 record and currently sits third in the table with 24 points. Headlined by Delphine Cascarino’s league-leading five assists, the Wave are led by a trio of French newcomers to the league, including the aforementioned winger, defender Perle Morroni, and midfielder Kenza Dali.
The trio of combined for 16 goal contributions through the first 13 matches of the season, with each having at least four.
USYNT star Kimmi Ascanio has also been effective around the box with three goals and one assist, while Canadian striker Adriana Leon has been the team’s poacher in the box with a team-leading four goals.
The first match between the two this season ended in a 5-2 win for the Wave, marking the latest in what has been a high-scoring series the last two seasons. The Courage swept the series in 2024, winning 4-1 in San Diego and 2-1 at home.
The Details
What they’ll wear:
Courage — Field: Blue/Blue/Blue | GK: Lavender
Wave — Field: White/White/White | GK: Green
2025 Records:
Courage — W5-5L-3D (9th, 18 points)
Wave — 7W-3L-3D (3rd, 24 points)
Courage vs. Wave (Regular Season): 2W-3L-2D
Last time out:
Courage — 2-1 Win, vs. Houston Dash
Wave — 0-0 Draw, Vs. Washington Spirit
Up next:
The Courage hit the road to face the Houston Dash on Friday, August 8, at 8 p.m. ET. The match will stream live on NWSL+ and Paramount+.
