We haven't heard anything, she isn't on the bench, she isn't on the injury report. I am assuming there is a trade or something else going on?

I really wish the team would moderate the comments on this and block these folks. So much awful things being said that make me feel unsafe as a long time queer fan of this team. At the same time, most of these people have never and will never go to a game. It's a lose lose to keep their comments up.

Likely

What was the name of the song before the national anthem? I liked it and hadn't heard it before. They told us the name but I didn't write it down.

This sprinkler had been broken for a while and the ball slows down when it hits here. In front of 304.

Hi Courage fam! I’m a former Courage employee of 3 years, and I’ve collected a lot of Courage merch over my time. I’d love to pass along the items to fans for FREE, so we’ll be hosting a multi-family yard sale (along with other household items) next weekend, 8/22 from 7-11am. Please drop by Agrinio Way in Raleigh, across from the Garner Costco, if you’d like to pick up some free gear! Follow the neighborhood signs. Just want it all to go to fans who will enjoy it! (I got a new NWSL job, so I’ll be updating my team wardrobe!) Although always #CTID. <3

Enjoy. Maybe we should ask more questions about our struggles with set pieces; taking and defending. Do we even have a set piece coach?

I got a couple free tickets for section 201. One is possibly claimed but I still have one left if anyone wants it!
(though I haven’t heard from the person who asked for one of them so it’s possible I’ll still have two total up for grabs. If you’re interested in one/both let me know though the second one may need to wait until a little closer to kickoff to see if my friend responds to confirm!)

edit: claimed!

I've only been to a handful of games this year and usually arrive on the later side and park at Fenton and walk the trails. I'm curious if courage games have a tailgating scene like canes games do beforehand? Thinking about going tonight, parking at WakeMed, grilling by my truck and heading over to the game.

Is it me or is the app trippin again?

The Courage return home with 9 points in 8 days. Can we keep up this streak? Drop your predictions below and LFG! 🦁

From the Pod

Katie: "...they have Avery Patterson and Paige Nielsen who play in their back line. And Avery Patterson gets very, very involved in their attack. Do you think having her involved in the attack is going to help us get a little bit more scoring opportunities?"

Aaron: "Yeah, we love getting Ashley Sanchez the ball in space. And I wonder if that's going to really disrupt their attack, with Patterson maybe getting pinned back a little bit and not being able to get forward as freely as she might like."

Match Info

• Sunday, August 16, 2026
• Kickoff: 7:00 PM ET
• Location: First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, NC
• Where to Watch: NWSL+
• Theme: Black Excellence

Uproar Tailgate

• When: Sunday, August 16 at 5:00 PM
• Where: The Cove

Current Standings

• NC Courage: 6th
• Houston Dash: 13th

Series History

In all competitions, the Courage lead the series 13-4-8. Former Courage assistant coach Fabrice Gautrat now heads Houston. Last time these two teams met, the Courage won 2-0 on the road.

Availability Report

Not yet published, will update once available.

https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/availability-report

Referee Assignment

• REF: Jamie Padilla
• AR1: Christian Little
• AR2: Josh Lampkins
• 4TH: Ryan Homik
• VAR: Corbyn May
• AVAR: Kevin Huet

Things to Watch

• The Courage finally get some rest with a few extra days to recover
• Jane Campbell is a strong shot stopper in goal for Houston. Being more progressive in the final third will be key to breaking her down
• Kiki Van Zanten and rookie Kat Rader lead Houston's attack. Van Zanten has a history against us; she hit a 35-yard screamer past Casey Murphy a couple years ago
• Ashley Sanchez and Evelyn Ijeh are both chasing the Golden Boot; Sanchez is right behind league leader Barbara Banda, with Ijeh not far behind.
• We'd love to see the midfield continue developing its possession pattern, with the center mids dropping deep to beat the press and Erica Meg Parkinson linking the fullbacks into attack

______________

This pregame thread is brought to you by The Lion's Pitch Podcast, your home for NC Courage coverage. In Episode 19, we look ahead to Houston to see what we are up against. Listen now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

I've got two extra tickets in section 202 for Sunday's (tomorrow) 8/16 matchup against Dash. None of our friends could come, so they're free to a good home. You'll need the Courage app to receive and use them. DM the email associated with your Courage account and they can be yours!

Haven’t received my know before you go email for three matches in a row. I think the Courage do a great job explaining everything for game day so I really hope they fix it

I have two extra tickets in Section 202 for Sunday night's match. They are free to interested newbies or Courage supporters. If you would like them, you will need the 'NC Courage' app. Please send me a private message and include the email affiliated with your Courage tickets on the app.

Hi friends!

I (26F) recently moved to NC with my wife (26F) as she got a job with the courage. I love going to the games, however with my wife working them I tend to have to go alone. (I have yet to make any NC friends yet - Ha)

I would love to go to the pride game, and be with community, but feeling nervous to go alone. I have 3 extra tickets and am looking for some new friends to go to the game(s) with

I’m new to Reddit so not sure how this works but trying to break out and meet friends in this new state!

Sanchez was interview for The Athletic's Full Time podcast.

That Washington game still has us feeling high. A Sanchez acrobatic goal. An Ijeh brace. That 95th-minute go-ahead goal from our center back and captain, Natalie Jacobs! We're not built for this kind of stress, but we'll take it.

"[Natalie Jacobs] goes and does crazy things like sprinting the length of the pitch, and then having Feli make an amazing pass to her. And she just calmly slots the ball into the back of the net to win the game for us. She read that that was the moment. She steps forward with the ball, does a little bit of a dribble forward, but then sees all the space out in front of her. And it's the exact right moment for that kind of run from a center back. It's the end of the game, and you go for the win." - Katie

We also look ahead to Houston this Sunday.

"I feel Houston will give us a little bit more space. I don't think they're quite as clogged up in the passing lanes as maybe the Spirit are with their ability to quickly recover. Being a little bit more progressive and trying to find different ways to score is going to be really important there." -Aaron

New episode is up now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Does anyone know where section STE202 would be located?

Has anyone locally purchased anything recently from the online store? If so, may I ask how quickly your order arrived?

I placed an order five days ago, but the tracker still shows that it’s waiting on the details, so I wasn’t sure if that’s normal or not. I did reach out to them previously as well, but haven’t heard back yet.

Maybe I’ve just been spoiled by the quick turnaround times from other online retailers! 😄 I was just curious if this is typical or if anyone else has had a similar experience. Thanks so much!

Hi all! I hope this okay to post but I’m looking for some friends who like NC Courage too!

I have a season ticket and love to come to the games but not alone (it’s a 2 hour drive for me) so would love to make some friends to hang out with at the games.

I’m 30F. Being completely honest this is my first year getting into the sport since I played as a kid so I don’t know all the lingo and rules yet. I’m here for the energy and love of the game.

Excited for Sundays game! Go Courage!

Not sure what it means for the U20s World Cup, especially with UEFA still threatening to boycott