The North Carolina Courage is one of the premier women’s soccer teams in the United States. The franchise was originally founded in 2008 as the Buffalo Flash of the USL W-League, although the name later changed to the Western New York Flash. The team established itself as an early powerhouse in women’s soccer by winning three straight championships between 2010 and 2012. After transitioning to the nascent National Women’s Soccer League, the Flash won the 2016 championship. In the same year, Steve Malik acquired the Flash and moved the franchise to North Carolina. The newly rebranded Courage immediately ascended to the top of the league. The team won the NWSL Shield for the best regular season record three times in a row between 2017 and 2019. After finishing as runner-up to the Thorns, the Courage won both the 2018 and 2019 championships over Portland and Chicago, respectively. The team also won the 2018 International Champions Cup over Olympique Lyonnais. Fans of top-quality women’s soccer can purchase North Carolina Courage tickets at StubHub.

Who are some of the top players in North Carolina Courage history?

Forward Lynn Williams is the all-time leading scorer for the Courage with nine goals in 2017, 14 goals in 2018 and 12 goals in 2019. Crystal Dunn, Debinha Miri, Kristen Hamilton and Jessica McDonald have also topped the team’s scoring table. In the net, goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland won 26 games for the Courage between 2017 and 2019. She had acquired a low-goal average against the average of 0.56 in 2018.

How did the North Carolina Courage finish last season?

North Carolina won the 2019 NWSL title with a 4-0 victory over the Chicago Red Stars. Debinha Miri, Jessica McDonald and Crystal Dunn closed out the game early with first half goals, while Sam Mewis added a fourth goal in the second half. It was an all-around brilliant season for North Carolina. After winning the NWSL Shield with a league-high 49 points and 15-5-4 record in the regular season, the Courage triumphed over Reign FC 4-1 to make the championship game.

What are some of the highlights of the upcoming season?

The Courage play 24 games in 2020. The quest for the championship starts with a championship game rematch against the Chicago Red Stars at home on April 18. This is followed by a home game against the Washington Spirit on May 16. North Carolina then invites Reign FC to play at home on July 4. Other critical home games include the Portland Thorns on Aug. 1, the Utah Royals on July 10 and Sept. 13, the Red Stars again on Aug. 29 and the Houston Dash on Oct. 17 to conclude the season. The top four teams in the league qualify for the semifinals matches on Nov. 8, which is followed by the championship game on Nov. 14.

Who is the head coach of the North Carolina Courage?

North Carolina head coach Paul Riley is a veteran of both the men’s and women’s game. He began his career coaching the CW Post at the college level between 1991 and 1997, for which he received the 1991 New York Regional Coach of the Year. After moving to the professional level, Riley won the 2002 USL championship with the Long Island Rough Riders and the 2006 and 2009 championships with the Long Island Fury of the Women’s Premier Soccer League. He also won Coach of the Year honors with the Philadelphia Independence in 2010 and 2011. After a brief stop with the Portland Thorns, he became the head coach of the Western New York Flash in 2016.

What is a home game like for the North Carolina Courage?

Sahlen’s Stadium, which seats around 10,000 people, is the official home of the Courage and North Carolina FC. The Courage have several different supporters' groups, including The Uproar. The supporters' groups have exclusive access to the supporters section of the stadium. They fire up the crowd with organized chants, flag waving and lots of noise. Get the North Carolina Courage schedule at StubHub today.Back to Top

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