Pretty lengthy interview with Ashley Sanchez. So ready for this home game!!! Let's go Courage!

You're welcome.

Sincerely, the NC Courage, Mak Lind, and all of us fans who are smiling the biggest "we told you so" grins on the planet :-).

Hello All!

I can't make it to this Saturday's match and I'm looking to sell my ticket (section 503 row F seat 5). I'm looking to get $20 for it.

DM me if interested I will transfer it right away after payment (PayPal/venmo).

Thanks!

Made this comment honestly as a joke, did not expect the “like” and comment that followed…

EDIT: Sold! Thanks :)

Sorry mods if this isn’t allowed!

We were planning to drive up to DC to catch the USWNT game this Saturday but sadly we can’t anymore. Selling two tickets in Section 208 for $100 each. Would love to give them to a good home with a fellow courage fan! Feel free to DM.

Belongs to US!

I put together postgame quotes from Gianna Paul, Kailen Sheridan and Mak Lind, with stats and box score notes where they apply. It covers Paul's goal, Natiel Jacobs' return, how Lind explained the late sub and yellow card, and what he said about Sanchez's USWNT call-up.

All right yall. Now’s the time to sell out the stadium. Biz opps. How we looking so far??? LETS DO THISSSS

Gotta credit the whole operation—front office, coaching staff, players—with getting Paul in a position to be a consistent threat. She has created so many opportunities over her first few games. Great first pro goal, after getting oh so close a couple times early. Postgame, she talked about overcoming mental hurdles related to never scoring in the pros. Happy to see and hear she feels comfortable in this new system.

Fuck yea

Hey Courage Country! Tonight's match will still stream on NWSL+ and will now simulcast on ESPNU during the first half and on ESPN2 following the conclusion of the WNBA game, giving you more ways to watch. Hope you all tune in and watch this big Friday night matchup :)

My wife and I are debating getting the Party Deck add on. From what what I understand it's all you can eat bulbox, all you can drink, wine, beer, soda and water. We're not big drinkers so we're not sure it's worth it for us. Has anyone experienced it before?

Final match before the international break, and it's a six-pointer. The Courage and Reign sit one point apart on either side of the playoff line, and this could make or break our playoff hopes. Drop your predictions below and LFG! 🦁

From the pod this week: "They have a very good front line in Mia Fishel, Jess Fishlock, Maddie Mercado. They can make it difficult. They have a lot of movement and a lot of off-the-ball runs that sometimes we lose focus, and we don't track very well. And I know Jess Fishlock is great at popping up right in front of goal, because people tend to just lose focus of her in the midfield and she darts forward." — Katie, Episode 26

Match Info

• Friday, October 2, 2026
• Kickoff: 10:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM PT
• Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
• Where to Watch: NWSL+
• Theme: Seattle's annual Queen's Match

Current Standings

• NC Courage: 9th, 12W-3D-11L, 39 pts
• Seattle Reign: 8th, 12W-4D-10L, 40 pts

Series History

The Courage lead the all-time regular season series 11-6-3. We beat Seattle 3-1 on the road back on July 4 in our first match after the summer break, with a brace from Ashley Sanchez and a penalty conversion from Riley Jackson.

Availability Report

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

NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE

• OUT: Maycee Bell (Shoulder - SEI), Payton Crawford (Knee - SEI), Ally Schlegel (Foot), Sydney Schmidt (Knee - SEI), Lauryn Thompson (Ankle)
• QUESTIONABLE: Natalie Jacobs (Head)
• INTERNATIONAL DUTY: None

SEATTLE REIGN FC

• OUT: Lynn Biyendolo (Maternity Leave)
• QUESTIONABLE: None
• INTERNATIONAL DUTY: None

Referee Assignment

• REF: Mark Verso (1W-0L-0D)
• AR1: Matthew Rodman
• AR2: Fernando Fierro
• 4TH: Drew Klemp
• VAR: Joshua Encarnacion, James Norris

Things to Watch

• Ashley Sanchez tied the NWSL single-season scoring record with her 20th goal, a 37th-minute penalty kick equalizer against Utah. She's one goal away from the record outright, has quadrupled her previous single-season high (5), and has now surpassed her entire combined goal total from every prior season (19) in this one alone
• Evelyn Ijeh and Sanchez now have 31 combined goals, the most by any pair of teammates in NWSL history
• The Courage are one goal away from 50 goals in a season, something the club has done only twice before. No other team in NWSL history has reached that mark more than once
• Jess Fishlock remains the heartbeat of this Seattle side even at 39 years old, with four goals in limited minutes this season, including a brace in their last match
• Maddie Mercado leads Seattle with 8 goals, and former Courage forward Brittany Ratcliffe has been a dangerous super sub with 4 goals in under 400 minutes. Ratcliffe is the same player who scored a 94th-minute game winner against the Courage back in 2018, the club's only loss that entire season (fun fact: it also happened to be our producer Mary's birthday)
• Seattle is strong at home, 8-3-2 this season, while the Courage have actually been better on the road, 6-5-2
• Sam Meza is on yellow card watch for Seattle and will be a suspension risk if she picks one up tonight

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This pregame thread is brought to you by The Lion's Pitch Podcast, your home for NC Courage coverage. In Episode 26, we look ahead to Seattle to see what we are up against. Listen now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Courage are one point out of the final playoff spot with four games left.

They've conceded first in each of their last three losses, all by the 23rd minute. Mak Lind says that's how eight of their 11 losses this season began. Friday's opponent, Seattle, hasn't allowed a home goal since Aug. 9.

Ahead of tonight's crucial match, we break down each early goal, what Lind and Chioma Okafor said about fixing it, and the sources behind all the numbers.

We need more...Okafor!