The Lion's Pitch

Courage Show Up

The NC Courage dominated with a 4-0 win over a struggling Chicago Stars. Trevor and Katie break down an exciting performance before welcoming midfielder Carly Wickenheiser as a special guest. Then we dive into our next road match against Racing Louisville. This week, we welcome Courage midfielder Carly Wickenheiser to the podcast. IN THIS EPISODE LOOKING BACK: NC COURAGE VS CHICAGO STARS Four goals. Four different scorers. Evelyn Ijeh gets her first Courage goal, Ashley Sanchez reaches a career-high six, Ally Schlegel scores her first goal for the Courage against her former club, and Manaka Matsukubo caps it off with a patient finish. We break down the left-side attack that caught Chicago off guard. STANDOUT STATS Four goals on 17 shots with 32 touches in Chicago's box. We dig into what Riley Jackson's 84% passing accuracy in the final third actually means and why it's such an encouraging sign for where this team is heading. INTERVIEW: CARLY WICKENHEISER We sit down with Courage midfielder Carly Wickenheiser to talk about her journey from youth soccer through seven years in Sweden and finally to the NWSL. She tells us what she sees coming for this team in the second half of the season and more. LOOKING AHEAD: RACING LOUISVILLE Louisville is sitting in 15th, but they're built to frustrate. We break down their person-to-person defending style and why this feels like a must-win before the June international break. COURAGE NEWS Ashley Sanchez continues to shine bright this season as NWSL Player of the Month and Sports Illustrated's NWSL MVP of the Month for April. We also discuss English phenom, Erica Parkinson, transfer reports, and what it might mean for the roster. AROUND THE LEAGUE Fairly slow week, the biggest news being Racing Louisville is reportedly looking to sell a partial stake in the club. ABOUT THE LION’S PITCH PODCAST Welcome to The Lion’s Pitch, your go-to podcast for everything North Carolina Courage. Every week, Trevor and Katie break down the latest matches, preview upcoming opponents, discuss NC Courage news, and take a look around the NWSL. Plus, we’ll bring you bonus episodes with interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and some fun surprises along the way. New episode drops every Thursday. SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and find us online at lionspitch.com [https://www.lionspitch.com/], follow us on Bluesky @lionspitch.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/lionspitch.bsky.social], or on Instagram @thelionspitch [https://www.instagram.com/thelionspitch] * Hosted by Trevor Knoblich [https://bsky.app/profile/featuringtrevor.bsky.social] and Katie Cleary [https://bsky.app/profile/kt1986.bsky.social] * Produced by Mary Pruter [https://bsky.app/profile/marypruter.bsky.social] * Edited by Danielle Russell [https://bsky.app/profile/likethe309.bsky.social] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Weathered the Weather

The NC Courage fall 1-0 to Orlando Pride in a fairly evenly matched game. Trevor and Katie break down a strong defensive performance despite the injuries in the back before looking ahead to a home match against the Chicago Stars with special guest Lesley Ryder from Gal Pal Sports. This week, we're joined by Lesley Ryder, independent journalist and co-founder of Gal Pal Sports. Follow Lesley on Bluesky at @lesleyryder.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/lesleyryder.bsky.social] and Gal Pal Sports at @galpalsports.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/galpalsports.bsky.social]. IN THIS EPISODE LOOKING BACK: NC COURAGE VS ORLANDO PRIDE 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. We break down what went right, the midfield shift after Marta came on, and why this performance gives us real confidence heading into the stretch before the international break in June. STANDOUT STATS Both teams finished with nearly identical numbers, except for one that may be cause for concern. We dig into what it might say about the Courage's predictability on the ball. LOOKING AHEAD: CHICAGO STARS Lesley Ryder from Gal Pal Sports joins Trevor and Katie to break down a Chicago side decimated by injuries and searching for an identity. We discuss Brianna Pinto's return to WakeMed, what to watch in the midfield, and whether someone other than Ashley Sanchez or Manaka Matsukubo finds the back of the net COURAGE NEWS The NWSL extended Feli Rauch's suspension to two games, and we still have plenty of questions about why. Plus, it's Star Wars Night at WakeMed. Come for the match, stay for the Grogu bobblehead. AROUND THE LEAGUE The NWSL officially tables the European calendar discussion through 2030. We share our thoughts on why that's probably the right call. ABOUT THE LION’S PITCH PODCAST Welcome to The Lion’s Pitch, your go-to podcast for everything North Carolina Courage. Every week, Trevor and Katie break down the latest matches, preview upcoming opponents, discuss NC Courage news, and take a look around the NWSL. Plus, we’ll bring you bonus episodes with interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and some fun surprises along the way. New episode drops every Thursday. SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and find us online at lionspitch.com [https://www.lionspitch.com/], follow us on Bluesky @lionspitch.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/lionspitch.bsky.social], or on Instagram @thelionspitch [https://www.instagram.com/thelionspitch] * Hosted by Trevor Knoblich [https://bsky.app/profile/featuringtrevor.bsky.social] and Katie Cleary [https://bsky.app/profile/kt1986.bsky.social] * Produced by Mary Pruter [https://bsky.app/profile/marypruter.bsky.social] * Edited by Danielle Russell [https://bsky.app/profile/likethe309.bsky.social] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Slow Starts & Hard Lessons

The NC Courage picked up a draw in Boston and dropped 3 points at home to Kansas City. Trevor and Katie break down both results and look ahead to a road trip to Orlando. IN THIS EPISODE LOOKING BACK: NC COURAGE VS BOSTON LEGACY & KC CURRENT Two games, two slow starts, and too many goals conceded inside the first ten minutes. We break down the goals against Boston and Kansas City, what they reveal about the Courage's consistency challenges, the Feli Rauch red card that nobody in the stadium saw coming, and a few bright spots, including Chioma Okafor's growing impact, Lauren Thompson's electric cameo, and Manaka Matsukubo's knack for being in exactly the right place. STANDOUT STATS Kansas City won the defensive battle in the first half with the Courage stabilizing in the second. We dig into what the numbers mean. LOOKING AHEAD: ORLANDO PRIDE Orlando is hovering mid-table but don't let that fool you. With Barbara Banda, Marta, and Summer Yates all capable of scoring, they have threats everywhere on the pitch. We break down what the Courage need to watch out for and what a road win could do for their table position. COURAGE NEWS Ashley Sanchez wins NWSL Player of the Month for April. Riley Jackson hits 50 consecutive caps, becoming the youngest Courage player and fourth youngest in league history to reach the mark. Avenue Capital Group investment clears, bringing serious new financing to the club. AROUND THE LEAGUE Ashley Sanchez wins NWSL Player of the Month for April. Riley Jackson hits 50 consecutive caps, becoming the youngest Courage player and fourth youngest in league history to reach the mark. Avenue Capital Group investment clears, bringing serious new financing to the club. ABOUT THE LION’S PITCH PODCAST Welcome to The Lion’s Pitch, your go-to podcast for everything North Carolina Courage. Every week, Trevor and Katie break down the latest matches, preview upcoming opponents, discuss NC Courage news, and take a look around the NWSL. Plus, we’ll bring you bonus episodes with interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and some fun surprises along the way. New episode drops every Thursday. SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and find us online at lionspitch.com [https://www.lionspitch.com/], follow us on Bluesky @lionspitch.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/lionspitch.bsky.social], or on Instagram @thelionspitch [https://www.instagram.com/thelionspitch] * Hosted by Trevor Knoblich [https://bsky.app/profile/featuringtrevor.bsky.social] and Katie Cleary [https://bsky.app/profile/kt1986.bsky.social] * Produced by Mary Pruter [https://bsky.app/profile/marypruter.bsky.social] * Edited by Danielle Russell [https://bsky.app/profile/likethe309.bsky.social] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Down a Player, Up Three Points

The NC Courage grind out a 1-0 win away at Houston Dash, playing more than 20 minutes a player down after Ally Schlegel's red card. Trevor and Katie break down the win at Houston and look ahead to Kansas City at home. IN THIS EPISODE LOOKING BACK: NC COURAGE VS HOUSTON DASH Ashley Sanchez is inevitable, Manaka Matsukubo delivers another moment of magic, and the back four put in one of their best collective performances of the season. We break down how the Courage ground out three points away from home with ten players. STANDOUT STATS Equal shots at 16 each, but Houston managed just two on target versus our eight. We dig into what that gap tells us about how the match was really won. LOOKING AHEAD: KC CURRENT Kansas City has the most goals allowed in the league and no clean sheets, but they have the offensive firepower to hurt anyone with Temwa Chawinga, Croix Bethune, and Lo’eau LaBonta leading the way. We break down how the Courage can exploit their defensive struggles and share our picks for the starting XI. COURAGE NEWS A packed international break with Manaka Matsukubo, Riley Jackson, Evelyn Ijeh, Kailen Sheridan, Carly Wickenheiser, and Lauren Thompson all in action. We run through the results, the highlights, and what stood out. Plus, Chioma Okafor shares her thoughts on her NWSL debut. AROUND THE LEAGUE Jess Fishlock goes down with an injury after announcing her final season and we're hoping for the best for her. Columbus and Atlanta join the NWSL as the next expansion teams in 2028. And the debate over switching to a European calendar is heating up, so we share our takes. ABOUT THE LION’S PITCH PODCAST Welcome to The Lion’s Pitch, your go-to podcast for everything North Carolina Courage. Every week, Trevor and Katie break down the latest matches, preview upcoming opponents, discuss NC Courage news, and take a look around the NWSL. Plus, we’ll bring you bonus episodes with interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and some fun surprises along the way. New episode drops every Thursday. SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and find us online at lionspitch.com [https://www.lionspitch.com/], follow us on Bluesky @lionspitch.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/lionspitch.bsky.social], or on Instagram @thelionspitch [https://www.instagram.com/thelionspitch] * Hosted by Trevor Knoblich [https://bsky.app/profile/featuringtrevor.bsky.social] and Katie Cleary [https://bsky.app/profile/kt1986.bsky.social] * Produced by Mary Pruter [https://bsky.app/profile/marypruter.bsky.social] * Edited by Danielle Russell [https://bsky.app/profile/likethe309.bsky.social] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Far From Done

The NC Courage bounce back with a fun-to-watch 2-2 draw against our bitter rivals, the Portland Thorns. Katie and Trevor break down the match before looking far into the future to the Houston road match after the international break. IN THIS EPISODE LOOKING BACK: NC COURAGE VS PORTLAND THORNS We break down Manaka Matsukubo's magic and Ashley Sanchez's stunning strike. The Courage's defensive work kept Portland's dangerous front line largely in check. This performance felt like a step forward despite the draw. STANDOUT STATS The Courage generated 1.8 xG on just 12 shots while holding Portland to 1.48 xG on 16, including just 0.36 xG in the second half despite a heavy press. We dig into what the numbers say about where this team is heading. LOOKING AHEAD: HOUSTON DASH Houston has 3 wins and 1 loss after a wild penalty-driven comeback win over Racing Louisville, but can they sustain it? We break down midfielder Kiki Van Zanten, the center-back pairing featuring a familiar face in Malia Berkely, to watch, and what the possession battle might look like when two teams who want to play the same style go head-to-head. COURAGE NEWS A busy international window with Manaka Matsukubo, Evelyn Ijeh, Kailen Sheridan, Carly Wickenheiser, Lauren Thompson, and Riley Jackson all heading off on international duty. We run through the call-ups and what we're looking forward to watching. AROUND THE LEAGUE Angel City fall, San Diego climb, and Denver quietly put together three clean sheets. We look at the early movers on the table and share our cautious takes on who can actually sustain it. ABOUT THE LION’S PITCH PODCAST Welcome to The Lion’s Pitch, your go-to podcast for everything North Carolina Courage. Every week, Trevor and Katie break down the latest matches, preview upcoming opponents, discuss NC Courage news, and take a look around the NWSL. Plus, we’ll bring you bonus episodes with interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and some fun surprises along the way. New episode drops every Thursday. SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and find us online at lionspitch.com [https://www.lionspitch.com/], follow us on Bluesky @lionspitch.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/lionspitch.bsky.social], or on Instagram @thelionspitch [https://www.instagram.com/thelionspitch] * Hosted by Trevor Knoblich [https://bsky.app/profile/featuringtrevor.bsky.social] and Katie Cleary [https://bsky.app/profile/kt1986.bsky.social] * Produced by Mary Pruter [https://bsky.app/profile/marypruter.bsky.social] * Edited by Danielle Russell [https://bsky.app/profile/likethe309.bsky.social] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.