WakeMed Soccer Park | Cary, North Carolina – Saturday, June 17 at 7:00 PM ET
Players to watch:
Five different Courage players notched an assist against the Red Stars in the club’s 5-0 win last week, the third time the Courage have had five or more players with an assist in an NWSL game. All other NWSL teams have combined for two such games in league history (WNY Flash in June 2016 and Thorns in July 2014). Leading the team in assists is midfielder Narumi Miura with three, though nine total players have assisted a goal this year so far. Speaking of goals, forward Kerolin leads the way with seven goals, a number good enough for first in the league’s Golden Boot race.
The first of Orlando forward Adriana’s two goals against Portland last week came directly from a free kick, making her the first Pride player to score on a free kick since Joanna Boyles in June 2019. It was also the second goal from a free kick by an NWSL player in the regular season in 2023 (Megan Rapinoe vs. Chicago). Adriana is tied atop the team’s scoring charts with three goals alongside Messiah Bright, who is shining in her rookie campaign.
Match facts: The North Carolina Courage face the Orlando Pride on Saturday night at WakeMed Soccer Park where they will seek a third straight win in all competitions. On the flip side, the visiting Pride earned a big win over Portland last week to swing some momentum back in their favor and have already earned a point against the Courage after the pair met in the Challenge Cup in April in a 1-1 draw. The Courage stand in 6th place with 17 points from 11 games, while the Pride are in 8th place with 13 points from the same amount of games played.
North Carolina’s last league match was a 5-0 win over Chicago, the team’s sixth all-time win by five or more goals, tying them with Portland for the most in league history. It was also the club’s eighth time scoring at least five goals since the team’s founding in 2017, three more such games than any other club in that time.
Despite conceding the first goal, the Pride came back to defeat Portland, 3-1, last weekend. Orlando now has two wins this season in games in which it allowed the first goal, making the Pride the only NWSL team with multiple such wins in league play this season.
The Courage have won nine of their 14 regular season meetings with the Pride (D1 L4), having scored at least once in all 14 matches. That is the most league games played against a single opponent while scoring in each one in NWSL history.
