plus a look at July 4th opponent Seattle Reign
Three wins in three weeks, two of them on the road, one on the West Coast. The Courage carry terrific momentum into the June break after putting together a great 3-game winning streak. We haven’t seen a 3-game streak since 2024.
Still, they’re not invulnerable: Angel City exploited a few issues in a match that could have just as easily ended in a draw. That said, it’s hard to nitpick when the overall achievement stands, and the Courage end the first third of the season above the playoff line on the table in 7th, with a game in hand over Kansas City, who sit just above the Courage.
Also, a quick reminder our newsletter will resume Wednesday, July 8. The World Cup break gives us a break here at the Lion’s Pitch as well. You may see a special edition pop up between now and then. 😉
What we learned: Courage v. Angel City
A right-side attack strategy can actually work against the Courage … or can it?
Chicago tried attacking the Courage right side. They lost 4-0. ACFC largely tried the same tactic, to much greater effect, but still lost.
The strategy is fairly simple: tie up outstanding wingback and speed racer Ryan Williams on the right side, drag Riley Jackson over to make space in the midfield, then try to attack around them. Angel City more or less stuck to this tactic through the first half.
They looked dangerous at times – ACFC had 8 shots to the Courage’s 2 – but ended the half with little to show for their effort. A lot of those attacking runs were largely due to spaces created by world class midfielders Maiara Niehues and Jun Endo. It was Niehues who scored the lone goal on a quick transition.
ACFC couldn’t finish their efforts, thanks to blocks and some robust defending from Uno Shiragaki, Dani Weatherholt and Natalia Staude. In particular, the Courage defense was giving winger Kennedy Fuller trouble, and striker Riley Tiernan was a non-factor in the match.
The midfield is vulnerable in a way fans aren’t used to seeing
With the change to a more attack-minded midfield a few matches into the 2026 season, the Courage have a different look. Moving Jackson and Shinomi Koyama up the pitch has left some uncomfortable holes in the midfield, which Jun Endo exploited over and over again.
Head coach Mak Lind has said on more than one occasion he likes seeing the team more forward-looking, and he encourages the players to take some risks. He acknowledged after this match that he liked the Courage side’s effort to build goals, despite losing the ball and giving up the lone goal to ACFC. In general, he’d rather see the team take risks and play the game their way.
The challenge with this approach is that the Courage have recently played opponents on the lower half of the table. It remains to be seen if this risk-taking will be as effective against a more balanced opponent.
Sanchez / Manaka / Ijeh is something special (and let’s not overlook Jackson)
Both goals in this match came from combos of Ashley Sanchez, Manaka Matsukubo and Evelyn Ijeh.
The first goal came at 48’. Sanchez, pressing high against Kennedy Fuller, blocked a pass, then beat Fuller to move into the final third. Sanchez passed to Manaka, who was well-defended, but made an outstanding short pass to a charging Ijeh. Ijeh scored her third goal in as many matches.
The second goal came at 79’ when Ijeh got a perfect head-flick forward pass that Sanchez picked up. Sanchez drew three defenders to her, and shifted her momentum for a great pass to Riley Jackson, who found a perfect hole for Manaka to score.
Sanchez working so well on the left means even if Ryan Williams gets tied up, it leaves a threat on the left side. Defenders have to watch out for all three attackers. Not only that, Riley Jackson took a couple of longer shots in this match, forcing them to pay attention to her as well. Without a way to cover all four players, the goals looked effortless.
Or, as Lind remarked in his post-game press conference, the Courage built “two beautiful goals.”
Soccer needs to credit more than one assist
I’m sorry. I know there are a lot of traditionalists out there. But I can’t watch the creativity Sanchez put into making both of these goals happenand feel convinced she shouldn’t get credit on a tally sheet somewhere. It feels like an injustice.
Standout stats
The Courage faltered in the final part of the match. Following a nearly even possession battle in the first half of the match, they ceded 59% possession to Angel City in the second half. ACFC looked very dangerous at the end of the match, and it could have easily been a draw.
ACFC had 37 touches in the opponent’s box, compared to the Courage’s 17, according to FotMob. You could argue the Courage were simply more efficient, but there were times when the momentum was heavily in ACFC’s favor, and keeper Kailen Sheridan had to make more than one spectacular save to minimize damage.
The Courage were much better at giving up corners in this match. ACFC earned 5 to the Courage’s 3.
Manaka showcasing four defensive contributions continues to show her quality on and off the ball.
Look ahead: Courage v. Seattle Reign
Seattle sits at 10th on the table with 14 points. It’s easy to misinterpret their recent record as a slump, with 3 losses, a win and a draw out of their last 5 matches. However, the losses have come against opponents ranked at the top of the table, and it’s hard to say whether Seattle’s performance in the past few games will matter after a full month off.
Seattle switches between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3, depending on their opponent. They also tend to spread out their attacks among several players, much like the Courage.
Here’s a fun awkward stat for you: Seattle’s leading scorers each have just two goals. Striker Maddie Mercado is one of those top scorers. The other is … former Courage player and backup left wing Brittany Ratcliffe. She scored one of her goals in a match in which she only saw 13 minutes of play.
While they don’t put up many goals, Seattle is also stingy at giving them away, having allowed only 13 this season. Seattle and the Courage are tied at 4th best in the league for goals allowed.
As for the Courage side, starting center backs Natalie Jacobs and Maycee Bell may be recovered in time for the July 4th match. Dynamic forward Lauryn Thompson has also been out, though we haven’t had an update on her timeline for her return.
A home match provides yet another proving ground for the Courage. Seattle is a higher quality opponent than the past three matches, at least as far as current standings go. For Seattle, it’s a chance to show they can beat mid-table opponents, even as they’ve suffered losses to Utah, Washington and Gotham.
Courage news and updates
- The Women’s Soccer podcast did an interview with Courage defender Cameron Brooks.
- The Courage and forward Cortnee Vine “agree to mutual contract termination.”
- Thompson withdrew from her England U20 call up due to her injury.
- The Courage received a lot of recognition this week from NWSL:
- Player of the Week: Manaka
- Assist of the Week: Jackson
- Save of the Week: Sheridan
- Here’s a great data thread of Ryan Williams’ outstanding work this year.
Around the league and beyond
- The Canes are going to the Stanley Cup! 🎉
That’s it for this week! As always, you can get in touch with tips, suggestions, corrections and more: contact@lionspitch.com.
Next match: Saturday, July 4, 6:30 pm ET
North Carolina Courage v. Seattle Reign
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