CARY, N.C. (Aug. 2, 2025) — The North Carolina Courage return to NWSL regular season action on Saturday, August 2, taking on the San Diego Wave at 7:30 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast on ION.
The Courage enter Saturday’s match in ninth in the NWSL standings, but are on a two-match winning streak after ending the first half with wins over Angel City and the Houston Dash.
Kaleigh Kurtz, Malia Berkely, and Maycee Bell start in defense, anchoring the Courage’s now-familiar three-back formation that was utilized in the majority of the team’s 13 matches so far this season. Casey Murphy makes her 100th regular season start in a Courage jersey in net.
Tyler Lussi starts on the left with Feli Rauch listed as questionable with a lower body injury, while Ryan Williams will provide the width on the right.
Captain Denise O’Sullivan is joined by two of the Courage’s young stars in the midfield, with Riley Jackson and Shinomi Koyama completing the central trio.
Ashley Sanchez and Manaka Matsukubo will play as a duo at the top of the formation. Both players enter the match in good form, with Manaka scoring or assisting in five straight to end the first half of the regular season and Sanchez finding the back of the net in the Courage’s exhibition win over Chivas.
Goalkeeper Katie Cappelletti makes the matchday squad for the first time as a professional. The St. Joseph’s standout started the season as a non-roster invitee before signing a professional contract through the end of the season following the retirement of Hensley Hancuff.
Before Saturday’s match, Sanchez and Williams were honored for hitting 100 NWSL regular season appearances. Both players hit the milestone in the win over Houston. With all of Williams’ appearances coming with the Courage, she is one of six players to hit the century mark in a Courage jersey. The others include O’Sullivan, Kurtz, Abby Erceg, Debinha, and Murphy, who also hit the century mark in a Courage kit against the Dash.
Starting XI (3-5-2): Casey Murphy; Maycee Bell, Kaleigh Kurtz, Malia Berkely; Tyler Lussi, Shinomi Koyama, Riley Jackson, Denise O’Sullivan ©, Ryan Williams; Ashley Sanchez, Manaka Matsukubo
Substitutes: Katie Cappelletti, Brianna Pinto, Natalia Staude, Jaedyn Shaw, Dani Weatherholt, Cortnee Vine, Meredith Speck, Hannah Betfort, Aline Gomes
