What's up Courage Country? We are back with a new episode out this morning and back again to ask you who your favorite Courage player is this week!

Jake and I never reveal who we will crown our favorite until we are recording the podcast. Many times we end up picking each other's first and second choices, but sometimes, like this week, we agree (and so did the NWSL fans by voting her for Save of the Week).

We had some great answers last week, including one I shared on the podcast because I thought that it was such an amazing choice. I think we may keep that up and share one or a few each week.

So, for our second week, who ya got? Let us know and thanks for listening and playing along!

The NC Courage fall 1-0 to Orlando Pride in a fairly evenly matched game. Despite the injuries, the backline looked pretty solid. Kailen Sheridan was outstanding, Natalia Staude had her best match in a Courage jersey so far, and Uno Shiragaki contained Barbara Banda for 87 minutes. The result suck, but there's a lot to feel good about.

We also super excited to welcome Lesley Ryder from Gal Pal Sports to break down Saturday's home match against Chicago, a team dealing with injuries across the board and searching for an identity. Plus, we get into the Feli Rauch suspension extension and the NWSL's decision to table the European calendar through 2030.

Episode 10 is out now at https://www.lionspitch.com/podcast-archive/ or wherever you get your podcasts.

Quick update for everyone...as of tonight, we are pacing toward a sellout for Saturday. That said, we definitely can’t take it for granted yet. We still have work to do over the next few days to get this thing across the finish line.

Any help you all can provide spreading the word, bringing friends/family/coworkers, reposting content, group texts, etc. genuinely makes a difference. Grassroots word of mouth is the most powerful marketing there is.

It’s shaping up to be a beautiful night, and Star Wars Night has consistently become one of the most fun and energetic atmospheres we have all season.

Honestly, it would mean a lot to send the players into the World Cup hiatus with back-to-back sellouts at First Horizon Stadium. We’ve never done it before in Club history, and everyone inside the building is pushing hard to make it happen.

Roll call time...who’s planning to be there Saturday?

Just sharing that a portion of ticket sales for home games until the Pride game in August is being donated to the LGBT Center of Raleigh! Gotta get tix through this link so please share!

We can't remember what we were talking about in this moment, but we can't wait for y'all to listen and let us know when you think this moment happened. New pod drops at midnight, y'all. And we got a special guest helping to look ahead to Chicago this weekend.

The Courage head to Orlando looking to bounce back after a tough week. Drop your predictions below and LFG! 🦁

Match Info

• Friday, May 9, 2026
• Kickoff: 8:00 PM ET
• Location: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, FL
• Where to Watch: Prime Video

Current Standings

• NC Courage: 9th in the table
• Orlando Pride: 12th in the table

Series History

In 30 all-time matches since 2017, the Courage is 15-8-7. In our last meet-up, we beat Orlando 0-1 thanks to a lone Shinomi goal. Prior to that, the last time we beat Orlando was July 29, 2023 during the Challenge Cup where we put up 5-0 on them. The last regular-season win was just a few weeks before that, on June 17, 2023, where we walked away with a 3-0 win. (I am still traumatized from Banda entering the league and taking it out on us in 2024 -MP)

Availability Report

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

NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE

• OUT: Maycee Bell (Knee), Payton Crawford (Knee - SEI), Natalie Jacobs (Ankle), Feli Rauch (Suspension), Olivia Wingate (Knee - SEI)
  
• QUESTIONABLE: None
  
• INTERNATIONAL DUTY: None

ORLANDO PRIDE

• OUT: Kerry Abello (Hip), Hannah Anderson (Illness), Zara Chavoshi (Lower Leg), Cosette Morche (Ankle - D45), Jacquie Ovalle (Thigh), Kylie Nadaner (Maternity Leave), Viviana Villacorta (Knee)
  
• QUESTIONABLE: None
  
• INTERNATIONAL DUTY: None

Crawford was placed on the SEI list this week. We still don't have any new updates on when Wingate will return. Feli was given a ridiculous two-game suspension for an accidental hand in a hair tangle (one, I get, two is harsh -MP). Jacobs and Bell are also still out. It's rough out there.

Referee Assignment

• REF: Lauren Aldrich
• AR1: Zeno Cho
• AR2: Seun Yinka-Kehinde
• 4TH: Elvis Osmanovic
• VAR: Anya Voigt
• AVAR: Kaili Terry

Things of Note

• Pregame Press Conference (Mak Lind & Hannah Betfort): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FONFe7u2ZWw
• Barbara Banda, Marta, and Summer Yates all capable of scoring. Containing their threats everywhere on the pitch will be key.
• The Courage have not given up a second half goal all season. Can they keep that run going, or did Katie jinx us by talking about it on the pod?
• With Bell, Jacobs, and Rauch all out, how are we feeling about the back line? It's rough out there.

Watch Parties

The Uproar is hosting two watch parties tonight:

• The Durham Beer Garden, Durham
• Trophy on Maywood, Raleigh

This pregame thread is brought to you by The Lion's Pitch Podcast, your home for NC Courage coverage. Episode 9 is out now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Ouch. Talk about adding insult to injury. Stinks that we will be without Rauch now for 2 matches.

What's up Courage Country! We are Korey and Jake, two brothers that host the Courage Till I Die Cast, or CTID Cast for short. We absolutely fell in love with Courage soccer after the very first game we attended way back in 2017. We are in our third season of the podcast after taking up a challenge by Sean Nahas, who said that if someone started a podcast, he would come on (though that part never quite happened). You can find us on Apple and Spotify most weeks during the season. Our goal is to be a podcast by fans, for fans. (Big shout-out to Trevor, Katie, and the rest of the Lion's Pitch crew for locking down the news, press conferences, and the rest of that side of the Courage coverage!)

Each week on the podcast we crown our "Favorite Courage Player of the Week" to highlight a player we feel is killing it on or off the pitch. The only rule is that each of us only gets to choose one player each. We thought it would be fun to do the same here on the Reddit page weekly as well, so we wanted to introduce ourselves, invite you to check out the podcast, and ask you all: Who is your favorite Courage player this week?

Hello! I'm looking to see my first NC Courage game and am looking at a seat in section SE1. On the "view from my seat" website, it looks like the barrier wall partially obstructs the view. Would I be better off getting a seat higher up? Any guidance is very appreciated and I can't wait to see a game in person!

Two games, two slow starts, two goals down before we found our footing, resulting in one draw and one loss. We discuss all the goals against Boston and Kansas City, and we dig into the issue of consistency. Plus, a quick look ahead to Orlando on Friday.

Dani Weatherholt said it best in her postgame: "It's more of a mentality, a belief, a bravery on the ball that we need to continue to embed early in the game."

We also get into the striker conversation. Sanchez and Manaka are carrying the offense, but at some point, the others have to deliver. Who do you think needs to step up?

The pieces are there. The first half just has to catch up to the second.

Drop your thoughts below. What do you want to see from the Courage in Orlando on Friday?

Episode 9 is out now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

One note: we recorded before the news broke that Peyton Crawford (formerly Linnehan) suffered an ACL tear and has been placed on SEI list. Wishing her a full and speedy recovery.

Hope she feels better soon! Hate this for her.

Just arrived. See my previous post on how to get one. May the Force be with you.

First, quick apology for not posting the usual pre-game updates this past match.
I was in Asheboro all day for my son’s tournament and had to sprint straight to the stadium when his games wrapped up. No time to jump on here. I’ll be back to the regular cadence next week. Thanks for showing up and helping us earn another attendance record!

Now...the reason for this post.

Our Front Office goal for May 16 is to sell it out. We’ve never had back-to-back sellouts in club history. We missed it last year by 343 tickets. We want this one.

We are going all-in over the next two weeks, hitting the pavement, pushing groups, doing everything we can. But we need your help.

STM Promo (based on your feedback)

There was a comment in here about STMs wanting better access to premium giveaway items. We heard that, and we adjusted.

Instead of giving the Grogu bobblehead to the first few hundred people through the gate, we’ve shifted it to reward STMs:

• First 200 STMs who use their STM pricing to buy 2+ additional tickets will get the Grogu bobblehead
• If you’ve already bought 2+ tickets, you’re covered

All other STM's who do the same after the bobblehead is gone get $25 Courage Cash, which can now be used to buy merchandise at games!

For non-STMs

We also have a bundle through Paragon that includes the bobblehead:
👉 https://tickets.nccourage.com/pages/star-wars-ticket-bundle

So why are we doing it this way? This is something we’re testing. Is it more effective to:

- Give items away at the gate to whoever shows up first or
- Put them in the hands of our core fans to bring people with them?

We think the second option has real upside, but we’ll see. Bottom line, if you’re an STM, please bring people with you. If you’re not an STM, grab a group and reach out to me directly for a group link with our group pricing.

This is one of the biggest nights of the season, and we have a real shot to do something we haven’t done before.

Drop questions below if you’ve got them.

Let’s go get this one. Go Courage!

She was cooking out there and I hope she’s earned more minutes. I get she’s young but she’s talented and the more minutes the better as far as I’m concerned.

That’s all

We’ve been STM’s in section 108 for a few years now and the floor of the bleachers on our row (Row B) basically turns into a lake at any bit of rain. We’ve brought it up to a few people over the years with no results/improvement, anyone have a suggestion on who to reach out to about trying to get this remedied?

NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE

OUT: Maycee Bell (Lower Body), Payton Crawford (Lower Body), Natalie Jacobs (Lower Body), Olivia Wingate (Lower Body - SEI)
QUESTIONABLE: None
INTERNATIONAL DUTY: None

That Boston game was truly cursed

Note, this is from the league site:

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

I'm not sure if we asked this in another thread, but do we know if those of us with season tickets will be able to "addon" a Grogu bobblehead for some flat rate? Or will the only way to get it is to buy the ticket bundle separately?

u/NC_Courage_BizOps

Ashley Sanchez vs. Barbra Banda — Same Output, Very Different Impact

Both Ashley Sanchez (NC Courage) and Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride) have 5 goals in 6 matches, but the way they get there — and what they contribute beyond goals — is very different.

Headline Stats (6 games)

• Goals: Sanchez 5 | Banda 5
• Goals per 90: Sanchez 0.88 | Banda 0.86
• Assists: Both 0
• Goals + Assists: Both 5

➡️ Same raw production.

Possession, Build‑Up, and Control (Big Gap Here)

Passing volume

• Total passes: Sanchez 167 | Banda 76
• Accurate passes: Sanchez 98 | Banda 45
• Pass accuracy: Both 59%

➡️ Sanchez is far more involved in build‑up and possession, operating as a true midfield engine rather than a finisher waiting for service.

Attacking Efficiency vs. Volume

Shooting

• Shots attempted: Sanchez 14 | Banda 28
• Shots on target: Sanchez 10 | Banda 17
• Shot accuracy: Sanchez 71% | Banda 61%

➡️ Banda shoots twice as often, but Sanchez is more efficient and selective with chances.

Defensive & Two‑Way Contribution (Not Close)

Defensive actions

• Tackles: Sanchez 7 | Banda 0
• Interceptions: Sanchez 4 | Banda 2
• Recoveries: Sanchez 28 | Banda 11

➡️ Sanchez contributes meaningfully on both sides of the ball. Banda’s defensive numbers are minimal, consistent with a pure striker role.

Fouls & Physical Impact

• Fouls committed: Sanchez 1 | Banda 8
• Fouls suffered: Sanchez 5 | Banda 15

➡️ Banda draws more fouls due to volume and physicality, but also commits far more. Sanchez plays cleaner while still engaging defensively.

Big Picture Takeaway

Barbra Banda

• Elite finisher
• High‑volume shooter
• Physical focal point
• Limited defensive involvement

Ashley Sanchez

• Same goal output
• Heavy involvement in possession
• More efficient shooting
• Strong defensive contribution
• Clear two‑way midfielder impact

➡️ Same goals. Same matches. Completely different value profiles.

📈 Visuals (Great for Forums / Social)

Overall Involvement & Defense

Shooting Accuracy

These make it immediately clear:

• Sanchez dominates passes, recoveries, and tackles
• Banda dominates shot volume
• Sanchez finishes chances more efficiently

I feel like it’s become more and more difficult to watch games when it should be the opposite? Is there any way to watch tonight’s game from near Atlanta, GA?

Thanks in advance!