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Match Preview:
ORLANDO, Fla. (April 30, 2024) – The North Carolina Courage begin a three-match road swing as they visit the Sunshine State for a midweek NWSL regular season match-up with the Orlando Pride this Wednesday, May 1, with a 7 p.m. ET kickoff at Inter&Co Stadium. The match will stream live on NWSL+ in the United States with Maura Sheridan and Gary Bailey on the call.
The Courage sit second in the NWSL table, entering the week on 12 points through six contests with a 4-2-0 record. All four wins have come on their home field, including a 1-0 win over Seattle Reign FC last Saturday, while they enter this stretch seeking their first road points of the year.
Tyler Lussi has hit her stride in the last month, scoring in three straight contests. It’s the longest scoring streak of her career and second time she’s scored in back-to-back contests, also doing so in 2023. Lussi has nine goals in 25 matches with the Courage since the team acquired her prior to the 2023 season. She had just five in 62 career regular season contests between Portland and Angel City FC prior to the move east.
Ashley Sanchez had the assist on Lussi’s winner over Seattle. Sanchez now has three assists this season after six combined across her four seasons with the Washington Spirit. Sanchez leads the team in chances created, shots on target, and has one goal while another was called off the board due to an offside whistle in the match at Angel City.
Casey Murphy made seven stops to keep the clean sheet in Saturday’s win. It was the third clean sheet of the season for the U.S. Women’s National Team keeper and 35th of her career in 86 matches. Narumi Miura won five tackles Saturday to help stop the Seattle breakout and she and Denise O’Sullivan continue to provide the steady hand in the middle of the park. O’Sullivan, who became the first-ever player to record 10,000 regular season minutes in a Courage kit last weekend, is in line for her 150th NWSL regular season appearance in her next match.
The back line has been the lone constant unit in the Courage lineup this season, with the back four of Felicitas Rauch, Malia Berkely, Kaleigh Kurtz, and Ryan Williams starting all six matches so far. Three have played every minute while Rauch has played 523 of the 540 possible. They have been as solid as can be, but their endurance and depth will be tested this week with three matches in eight days.
Orlando is undefeated so far this season and are even with the Courage on 12 points with a 3-0-3 record. They are currently fourth in the league table, based on goal differential, but have a star-studded lineup that can play with pace and be lethal with chances. They’ve rattled off 86 shots and scored nine times this season while racking up 37 corner kicks.
The Pride are littered with world class talent along the front line with the likes of Marta, Adrianna, and newly acquired Barbara Banda, who was a factor in all three goals in the Pride 2-3 win away at Washington last Friday. Ally Watt and Summer Yates provide more pace and depth to wear down opposing defenses.
Adrianna, Kerry Abello, Haley McCutcheon, and off-season addition Morgan Gautrat lead an effective and versatile midfield for Head Coach Seb Hines while Emily Sams (nee Madril), who was an iron woman as a rookie in 2023, joins Kylie Stromm and Brianna Martínez on a stout backline ahead of veteran goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, who is in her second season as the full-time starter for the Pride.
Wednesday features two sides that have been highly impressive in both play style and results through the first six weeks of the season. The Courage have played very well away from home but haven’t gotten the desired results. They look to buck that trend as they start this difficult road stretch.
