NC Courage Wins Opening Match of NWSL Challenge Cup
#BlackLivesMatter – Unity Prevails Before Match
With the national anthem playing before Challenge Cup games, the NWSL kicked off this weekend and marked the restart of professional soccer in America.
North Carolina Courage claimed victory in the first NWSL Challenge Cup match defeating Portland Thorns FC 2-1 for the win with goals scored by Debinha and Lynn Williams. Portland’s Simone Charley also scored her team’s lone goal.
There was a moment of unity between the two teams as NC Courage and the Portland Thorns knelt during the national anthem in support of Black Lives Matter was certainly one to remember. A joint statement released by the two teams following the anthem read, “We took a knee today to protest injustice, police brutality, and systemic racism against black people and people of color in America.”
2019 #NWSLChampionship MVP and now first goalscorer at the #NWSLChallengeCup. @Debinha7 is always on a mission.
— NWSL (@NWSL) June 27, 2020
1-0 | #NCvPOR
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After ending the first half deadlocked at 0-0, the North Carolina Courage struck first in the 75th minute when Hailie Mace threaded a pass to Debinha, who took an easy shot into the lower corner of the net to put the Courage up 1-0.
Mace, who made her NWSL debut in the game, came in for Ally Watt who was injured in the 68th minute and stretchered off of the field. The assist from Mace came just minutes after she entered the match and was one of her first touches.
The Portland Thorns answered later into the second half with an unassisted goal scored in the 80th minute by Simone Charley. A shot by Lindsey Horan that rebounded off of the crossbar started the attack. The rebound caught Charley in stride.
Just when it seemed the match was going to end in a tie, Sam Mewis crossed the ball to Williams for a header to score the Courage’s game-winning goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time. In a postgame interview, Williams joked about her connection with Mewis being so strong because the two are roommates and spent weeks of preseason only being able to train with each other.
Head Coach: Paul Riley
Last Year’s Finish: 15-4-5, 1st overall (third consecutive NWSL Shield and second consecutive NWSL Championship)
First Match in NWSL Challenge Cup:
Up Next for Courage: The North Carolina Courage will face the Washington Spirit on Wednesday, July 1 at 10 p.m. EST to continue the preliminary round of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.
NC Courage’s head coach Paul Riley is devoted to his players and the beautiful game. This longtime women’s soccer coach has always been exacting in his preparation and emphasizes the importance of team chemistry as well as hard work. According to the NWSL site, “The Courage have consistently led the way the past few seasons and they may have gotten better.”
Also played on opening day, Saturday, June 27, Washington Spirit beat Chicago Red Stars 2-1 with goals from Rose Lavelle and Ashley Hatch. Red Stars’ Morgan Brian Gautrat scored for her team.
The Washington Spirit made their 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup debut with a 2-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday night at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Ut.
Scoring was opened early when midfielder Lavelle was first to arrive to a ball loose in the box, pinging a cool finish into the back of the net in the 8th minute. From that point, the Spirit controlled the game for the rest of the first half, heading into the break with a 1-0 lead, 53% share of possession and limiting the usually-potent Chicago attack to just one shot on target.
Less than one minute out from the halftime break, forward Ashley Hatch took advantage of a mistake from Red Stars keeper Alyssa Naeher and doubled Spirit’s lead, with a finish from close range.
Five minutes later in the 51st minute, Red Stars midfielder Morgan Gautrat fielded a ball at the top of the Spirit’s penalty area and put the chance past a diving Aubrey Bledsoe, putting the Red Stars on the scoreboard.
Bledsoe was faced with an awkward situation when Chicago midfielder Katlyn Johnson found forward Bianca St. Georges in space near the Spirit’s six-yard-box, but a stunning one-handed save denied Chicago a significant scoring opportunity. The comeback effort from the Red Stars fell short however, as Washington saw out the remaining time and secured all three points in their opening fixture. Washington
Read: 2020 NWSL CHALLENGE CUP KICKS OFF
With groundbreaking big-time sponsors of Procter & Gamble and Secret, the NWSL is the first contact pro sport to resume games in the USA.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 30, Houston Dash take on Washington Spirit and OL Reign test their abilities against Sky Blue.
Special Preview of OL Reign vs Sky Blue:
Sky Blue FC enters the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup having made several key additions to the squad during the offseason. Notable acquisitions include veteran McCall Zerboni (via NC Courage), breakout star in 2019 Midge Purce (via Portland Thorns FC), and rising USWNT star Mallory Pugh (via Washington Spirit).
In addition, the team added two high-profile draft picks in the 2020 NWSL College Draft in prolific scorer Evelyne Viens (USF) and iron-woman defender Kaleigh Riehl (Penn State).
Following its acquisition by OL Groupe in December of 2019 and the unveiling of its new crest and branding in March, OL Reign is set to take the pitch for the first time under new head coach Farid Benstiti.
The club returns 16 players from 2019’s squad along with 12 new players, including Japanese international forward Nicole Momiki, Costa Rican international midfielder Shirley Cruz and American defender Alana Cook, who joins on loan from France’s Paris Saint-Germain.
Don’t miss any of the action – here the link to the NWSL schedule.
Read: COVID-19 IMPACT ON SOCCER: ORLANDO PRIDE DROPS OUT OF NWSL CHALLENGE CUP
Orlando Pride withdrew last week from the Cup due to players’ and staff’s Coronavirus COVID-19 positive tests. NWSL adjusted the schedule to continue with an eight-team, 23-game tournament but many of the most familiar faces are missing from the pitch.
Read: COVID-19 IMPACTS SOCCER: WORLD CUP STARS BOW OUT OF NWSL CHALLENGE
U.S. National Team players Ali Krieger, Ashlyn Harris, and Emily Sonnett are on Pride’s roster as well as Brazilian star Marta. Former national team player Sydney Leroux Dwyer expressed her sentiments on Twitter sharing that she was “heartbroken.”
Read: NWSL UPDATED 2020 NWSL CHALLENGE CUP SCHEDULE AND ROSTERS
2019 #NWSLChampionship MVP and now first goalscorer at the #NWSLChallengeCup. @Debinha7 is always on a mission.
— NWSL (@NWSL) June 27, 2020
1-0 | #NCvPOR
Tune in now on @CBS, @CBSAllAccess, and @Twitch. pic.twitter.com/ZynNgO2rd1
Source: Release
