Players to watch:
Gotham FC scored the latest two goals in NWSL history in its 2-0 win over Orlando on Saturday, with forward Midge Purce scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot at 99:52, which stood as the latest goal in the league’s history. That record then held for nearly seven minutes before teammate Lynn Williams set a new mark with a goal at 106:44. Purce and Williams are the only Gotham players to have scored in three regular season games to date, with both of Purce’s coming from the penalty spot while both goals from Williams came during open play.
Courage midfielder Denise O’Sullivan scored in the ninth minute of stoppage time to salvage a point for North Carolina at Orlando in the Challenge Cup Wednesday. It was O’Sullivan’s first goal for an NWSL club in an away match since scoring for the Dash at the Courage’s predecessor, Western New York, in August 2016. However, only teammates Mille Gejl (1) and Kerolin (2) have found the back of the net in the regular season, with Gejl’s winner against the Current in Week 1 and two separate goals from the penalty spot by Kerolin in losses against San Diego and Washington.
Match facts: Gotham FC welcomes the North Carolina Courage to Red Bull Arena as NWSL action continues on Saturday night, with Gotham looking to continue its good form with two wins in three games, while the Courage are aiming for a first win since opening day.
Gotham FC defeated the Washington Spirit, 1-0, in its most recent match—the club’s Challenge Cup opener on Wednesday night in New Jersey. Forward Lynn Williams scored just before the hour mark to make it three wins out of four in all competitions in 2023. Gotham has more points int here league matches this season (6) than it managed in its final 17 games last year (4 – W1 D1 L15). Gotham lost its only home match this year and is winless in 10 straight at home in all competitions (D1 L9), tying the second longest streak in NWSL history (Gotham – 13 straight in 2017-2018).
The Courage need a boost heading into Saturday night with their late draw against Orlando stopping a two-game skid in the regular season. North Carolina snatched a point at the Pride with the late equalizer from O’Sullivan, but prior to that lost each of its last two regular season matches, falling 3-1, at San Diego before a 2-1 defeat to Washington on Saturday. The Courage have two three-match losing streaks in franchise history in NWSL play, starting last season with three straight losses and losing three straight in October 2021, the third of which was against Gotham FC.
North Carolina won three of its four meetings with Gotham FC in all competitions last season (D1). The Courage have 11 wins over Gotham in the club’s NWSL history (D3 L4), the second most by one team over another since the Courage entered the league in 2017, behind just North Carolina themselves versus Washington (12).
