Game Info
North Carolina Courage (1-2-0, 3 points) at Gotham FC (2-1-0, 6 points) Saturday, April 22, 203 | 7:30 p.m. ET Red Bull Arena | Harrison, New Jersey LIVE STATS | WATCH
HARRISON, N.J. (April 21, 2023) — The North Carolina Courage resume NWSL regular season action as they visit NJ/NY Gotham FC this Saturday, April 22, for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff from Red Bull Arena. The match will stream live on Paramount+ and Courage social media accounts will provide coverage before, during, and after the match.
The Courage are 1-2-0 in regular season action, winning their opening match against Kansas City before falling on the road to San Diego and at home against the run of play to the Washington Spirit. Through three league matches, the Courage sit in 10th place in the standings, but this young, new-look team has shown plenty of promise and fight, giving the impression that something special is brewing.
The Matchup
The Courage are 11W-4L-3D lifetime against Gotham FC, including an undefeated 2022 with three wins and a draw that included a 3-0 win in the home finale on a Debinha hat-trick in what would prove to be her final game in Cary. After beginning the season with their fourth straight shutout (dating back to last season), the Courage have surrendered multiple goals in back-to-back losses. The club has only had two, three-game losing streaks in history and will look to avoid a third on Saturday and continue their successful run against Gotham.
Scouting Gotham
Gotham is off to a hot start and already has more points in three matches this season (6) than it managed in its final 17 games last year. They opened the season with a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Angel City, were shut out by OL Reign, 0-2, in their only home game so far, then scored a pair of stoppage time goals last weekend to down Orlando, 2-0, on the road. Gotham has added some key experience to the roster this season, including U.S. Women’s National Team mainstays Kelley O’Hara and Lynn Williams. They traded the second-overall pick in the draft for Williams, but still were able to select Jenna Nighswonger with the fourth pick. Add in Midge Purce and Kristie Mewis, and this potent offense will look to attack early and often. The youthful Courage will also have to deal with a very experienced opponent. According to Opta, Gotham by far has the most veteran roster with an average age of 29.32. The next-highest average age is OL Reign at 26.7 years.
Players to Watch
NC Courage: #13 Ryan Williams Ryan Williams continues to be a shining example of what can happen when you believe, and you work hard. Signed in 2018 as a National Team replacement player, Williams kept doing enough to stick around, seeing her minutes and number of games increase every single year to lead into a breakout 2022. Now, she continues to do whatever is asked of her, moving into a center back role for the early portion of 2023; although she did get to play her traditional outside back spot on Wednesday. In her new role, Williams shined while marking USWNT star Trinity Rodman for much of the night last week and she continues to improve every day. Having versatile players that are willing to learn new positions is always an advantage, especially in a World Cup year. Gotham: #10 Lynn Williams We just may see the Williams vs. Williams matchup for a good portion of the night at Red Bull Arena. Lynn, who is tied for second in career NWSL goals and was a key member of the Courage during their highly successful run from 2017-21, appears to have returned to form after an injury cost her most of 2022. She scored Gotham’s first goal of the season and has a team-high two goals and nine shots. Her pace, both on the field and mentally, are a nightmare matchup for most defenders and she has proven to be dangerous, opportunistic, and clever in her runs. An opponent the Courage know all too well, she will have to be a constant focal point of the Courage back line.
Next Up
The Courage wrap up their three-game road trip as they visit the Houston Dash for NWSL regular season action on Friday, April 28. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from Shell Energy Stadium and the match will stream live on Paramount+ while @TheNCCourage provides live updates on social media.
