Match Info:
North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit Sunday, November 7 at 5:30 p.m. ET Audi Field Washington, DC
CARY, NC (November 5, 2021) – The North Carolina Courage will travel to face the Washington Spirit in the first round of the NWSL playoffs on Sunday, November 7 at 5:30 p.m. ET at Audi Field in Washington, DC. The playoffs consist of single-elimination matches, with a win on Sunday meaning the Courage will advance to the semifinal match against the OL Reign, who earned a first-round bye following their second place finish at the conclusion of the regular season. The match will air live on Paramount+, and tickets to the match are available here.
The Courage are a sixth seed in this year’s playoffs, squeaking into the last playoff spot by holding off the Portland Thorns in a scoreless draw on October 30 and awaiting the result of a match between the Spirit and the Houston Dash to determine their inclusion in the postseason. With a Dash loss, the Courage would secure the sixth seed. A goal from Spirit rookie Trinity Rodman provided the edge Washington needed to defeat the Dash, thereby punching the Courage’s ticket to the playoffs. Now, the Courage will face the very squad that kept their playoff hopes alive in a winner-takes-all match.
Where to Watch: Paramount+
Players to Watch presented by JubliaRX.com
North Carolina Courage – #4 Carson Pickett An integral piece of the Courage backline, Carson Pickett was recently named a finalist for Defender of the Year for her breakout season with the North Carolina side. The Florida State alumna impressed throughout the year, posting 45 clearances, seven blocks, and 54 interceptions in 24 matches played, all of which were starts. The defender also boasts precise passing, distributing 78.4% of her passes accurately, and notching five assists, 58 key passes and 28 successful crosses, cementing her value beyond the backline and creating numerous scoring opportunities for her teammates. With much at stake as the Courage take on Washington, Pickett will look to bolster the defense against significant challengers, among them Trinity Rodman, finalist for Rookie of the Year, and Ashley Hatch, the NWSL Golden Boot Winner. Washington Spirit – #2 Trinity Rodman Likewise nominated for an NWSL award, Trinity Rodman has been nothing short of stellar in her rookie season, taking 54 shots, 29 of which were on target, tallying six assists and scoring six goals, her most recent of which granted the Courage a playoff berth. Her season stats have placed her in contention for Rookie of the Year, the league announced on Friday morning. The 19-year-old has shown that she can perform well beyond her years, combining with Ashley Hatch, Tara McKeown and Ashley Sanchez to complete one of the most lethal offenses in the league. This weekend’s contest is a must-win should the Spirit want to continue their postseason run, as Rodman will look to add her name to the scoresheet once more to lift Washington over the Courage.
Last Time Out
The North Carolina Courage saw through a scoreless draw against the Portland Thorns in a hard-fought battle last Saturday night, rendering their rivals scoreless to keep their playoff hopes alive. With the clean sheet in that match, Casey Murphy tied Adrianna Franch’s record for most clean sheets in a single season with eleven. “Overall, I thought it was a good performance by the team,” said Denise O’Sullivan following the match. “To come in and play like that, I think the team was relentless. There was a lot of energy, the only thing that let us down was trying to get the ball in the back of the net. I’m proud of the girls. We gave everything that we could, and that’s all we could do.” “I think the players were brilliant,” Interim Head Coach Sean Nahas said. “They have shown tons of character and resilience. Before the game, we talked about being backed into a corner and there’s only one way out, and that’s through everybody. [The players] have done everything that we’ve asked of them, and I’ve told them how proud I am of them. I feel like today marked a massive thing for the players in terms of turning that corner.”
