 | |||
| Nickname | Lioness | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | January 9, 2017; 8 years ago (2017-01-09) | ||
| Stadium | WakeMed Soccer Park Cary, North Carolina | ||
| Capacity | 10,000 | ||
| Owners | Steve Malik Capitol Broadcasting Company Jrue &Lauren Holiday Naomi Osaka | ||
| Chairman | Steve Malik | ||
| Head coach | Nathan Thackeray (acting) | ||
| League | National Women's Soccer League | ||
| 2025 | Regular season: 9th Playoffs: did not qualify | ||
| Website | nccourage.com | ||
 Current season | |||
TheNorth Carolina Courage are an American professionalsoccer team based inCary, North Carolina, that competes in theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It was founded on January 9, 2017, afterStephen Malik acquired NWSL franchise rights from theWestern New York Flash.[1] The Courage plays its home games atWakeMed Soccer Park.
In 2018, the Courage became the first team in NWSL history to win theShield and the Championship in the same season. In 2019, the team became the first team to win the Championship on its home field.
On January 9, 2017, the North Carolina Courage announced their formation as the relocated Western New York Flash, with a new home of Cary, North Carolina.[2] The Courage officially hiredPaul Riley, the Flash's coach prior to relocation, on January 30, 2017.[3] The team played their first match, on April 15, 2017, against theWashington Spirit, and won 1–0 with a goal byMcCall Zerboni.[4] The Courage went on to win the 2017 NWSL Shield and advanced to the 2017 NWSL Championship after defeating theChicago Red Stars 1–0 in the semifinals, but fell 1–0 to thePortland Thorns in the finals.[5]
In 2018, the Courage had the best season in NWSL history, losing just one of 26 games played during the season. The Courage also participated in and won the inauguralWomen's International Champions Cup.Heather O'Reilly scored the only goal in the victory overOlympique Lyon.[6] After clinching the NWSL Shield, the team defeated the Portland Thorns in the 2018 NWSL Championship 3–0.Jessica McDonald was named the NWSL Championship MVP after scoring two goals in the match.[7]
The Courage returned to theWomen's International Champions Cup finals, but were defeated by returning finalists Olympique Lyon.[8] The Courage were crowned NWSL Champions for the second consecutive season after defeating the Chicago Red Stars, 4–0 in the 2019 NWSL Championship held in Cary, North Carolina.Debinha was named the NWSL Championship MVP after scoring the fastest goal in NWSL Championship history. The team clinched the NWSL Shield for the third time in as many years on September 21 after defeating Utah Royals FC. The team had an overall record of15–5–4.[9][10]
With the NWSL season cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the Courage participated in the inaugural2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. They were defeated in the semifinals by Portland Thorns.[11] The Courage also participated in the2020 NWSL Fall Series, finishing in fifth place.[12]
On January 28, 2021, the club announced that professional tennis playerNaomi Osaka had made an investment in the team.[13] Osaka stated that she was inspired to take part ownership by those who had invested in her during her career, and that she wishes to "continue the legacy of women empowerment."[14]
The Courage failed to qualify for the2021 NWSL Challenge Cup championship, falling one point short in the East Division toNJ/NY Gotham FC.[15][16]
On September 30, 2021, the club fired head coachPaul Riley after news of prior sexual abuse allegations emerged against him.[17] The Courage replaced Riley with assistantSean Nahas in the interim.[18][19]
On December 1, 2021, the Courage named former interim head coachSean Nahas as head coach for the 2022 season.[20][21]
The Courage won the East Division of the2022 NWSL Challenge Cup group stage, then defeatedKansas City Current in the knockout stage andWashington Spirit in the championship to win the tournament for the first time.[22]
The Courage spent the first half of the2022 season in last place, winning only two of its first 12 matches, losing six, and drawing four. Despite rallying to seven wins, two losses, and one draw in its final 10 matches of the season, the Courage finished the season in 7th place, behindChicago Red Stars by one point, and missed the playoffs for the first time in its history.[23]
In 2023, the Courage were on top of the league standings in July but finished the season in 3rd place, falling in the first round of the playoffs to eventual champions Gotham.[24][25] ForwardKerolin scored 10 goals and was named the NWSL MVP.[25] The Courage won theNWSL Challenge Cup for the second year in a row.[26]
The Courage finished fifth in the standings, losing in the first round of the playoffs to theKansas City Current.[27] They finished atop their group in theNWSL x Liga MX Feminil Summer Cup, falling to Kansas City in the semifinals.Ashley Sanchez, who was acquired via trade during the2024 NWSL Draft, led the team with 5 goals and 4 assists, whileKaleigh Kurtz was named to the NWSL Best XI.[28]
The Courage had a tumultuous season. They both acquired, and then sold, USWNT midfielderJaedyn Shaw[29]. On August 6th, with the team in ninth place in the table, the Courage fired head coachSean Nahas for a "multitude of factors" and namedNathan Thackeray acting head coach[30]. The Courage finished the season in ninth place, one point outside of the playoffs.Manaka Matsukubo led the team with 11 goals and 4 assists, and was named NWSL Midfielder of the Year and to the NWSL Best XI.[31]
The team's name is a nod to the originalCarolina Courage – who won the 2002Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) Founders Cup – as is the stylized lioness image, which matches the head of the lioness on the WUSA team's badge with very minor alterations. The badge features elements from theflag of North Carolina with both the star and the color scheme, the latter keeping in line with the NCFC brand. The lower right point of the star represents theResearch Triangle, a geographical region that includesChapel Hill,Durham, andRaleigh. The Courage's primary colors include "Atlantic blue", "cardinal red," and "Southern gold."[32]
Home
      2017 |  2018 |   2019 |  2020 |  2021 |    2022-23 |    2024-25 |
Away
   2017 |  2018–2019 |  2020 |  2021–22 |  2023 |  2024 |    2025- |
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 |  Nike | BlueCross BlueShield of NC |
| 2018–2022 | Continental | |
| 2023–present | Merz Aesthetics[33] |
The North Carolina Courage play their home games at WakeMed Soccer Park, asoccer-specific stadium owned byWake County and operated by theTown of Cary. The team shares the venue withNorth Carolina FC, aUSL League One team also owned by Stephen Malik.[34]
The soccer complex consists of a purpose-built main stadium, two lighted practice fields, and four additional fields. The main stadium and the two lighted fields (2 & 3) are allFIFA international regulation size (120 yards x 75 yards). The main stadium seats 10,000 with the expansions of 2012. Field 2 also has 1,000 permanent bleacher seats.
The park is on 150 acres (0.61 km2) that the State ofNorth Carolina has leased to Wake County. Money to build the soccer park came from $14.5 million in county-wide hotel room and prepared food and beverage taxes. The Town of Cary assumed responsibility for operations and maintenance in 2004 fromCapital Area Soccer League. On January 26, 2006, the Town of Cary council amended its lease to allow it to sublet the property to Triangle Professional Soccer through the year 2011 for the exclusive promotion of professional soccer and lacrosse events at the complex. This deal was extended for the new ownership group through 2014.[35]
On December 6, 2016, along with a name change, North Carolina FC announced plans for a housing and multi-use stadium development — originally announced as seating 24,000, then scaled down to 20,000 seats — inRaleigh, North Carolina, as part of the men's team's bid for aMajor League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise. Team owner Stephen Malik and real-estate developer John Kane led investment in the proposal, purchasing 88 acres of land in 2019 and estimating the total project cost to be $1.9 billion.[36][37][38] The MLS expansion bid was put on hold in 2021[39] along with the stadium plans as theCOVID-19 pandemic consumed municipal funding.[40] The project gained formerBioAgylitix CEO Jim Datin as an investor in June 2022.[41]
As of February 2023, developers Kane Realty Corp. projected that construction on the broader Downtown South development was expected to begin in spring of 2023, starting with work on a mixed-use residential project planned for completion in 2025. The project's first phase does not include a stadium.[42]
as of the 2024 NWSL season[43]
| Season | NWSL Regular Season | Position | NWSL Playoffs | NWSL Challenge Cup | Other | Top Scorer | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts | |||||||||
| 2017 | 24 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 38 | 22 | 49 | Shield | Runners-up | Lynn Williams | 9 | ||||
| 2018 | 24 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 53 | 17 | 57 | Shield | Champions | ICC Champions | Lynn Williams | 14 | |||
| 2019 | 24 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 54 | 23 | 49 | Shield | Champions | ICC Runners-up | Lynn Williams | 12 | |||
| 2020 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 5th | n/a | Quarterfinals |  Debinha | 7 | |||
| 2021 | 24 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 23 | 33 | 6th | First round | 2nd, East Division | Lynn Williams | 7 | |||
| 2022 | 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 46 | 33 | 32 | 7th | DNQ | Champions | Debinha | 12 | |||
| 2023 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 29 | 22 | 33 | 3rd | First round | Champions | Kerolin | 10 | |||
| 2024 | 26 | 12 | 11 | 3 | 34 | 28 | 39 | 5th | First Round | DNQ | Summer Cup Semi-finals | Ashley Sanchez | 5 | ||
| 2025 | 26 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 37 | 39 | 35 | 9th | DNQ | DNQ |  Manaka Matsukubo | 11 | |||
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | MF |  CAN | Victoria Pickett(atAFC Toronto) |
| 24 | DF | CAN | Brooklyn Courtnall(atBay FC) |
| 33 | DF |  AUS | Charlotte McLean(atTampa Bay Sun) |
| Executive | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Stephen Malik |
| President | Francie Gottsegen |
| Chief soccer officer | Ceri Bowley |
| Assistant general manager | Bobby Hammond |
| Coaching | |
| Head coach | Vacant |
| Assistant coach / acting head coach |  Nathan Thackeray |
| Assistant coach | Emma Thomson |
| Assistant coach | Victoria Boardman |
| Assistant goalkeeping coach | Katelyn Rowland |
| Name | Nationality | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Riley | England | January 9, 2017 | September 30, 2021 |
| Sean Nahas (interim) |  United States | September 30, 2021 | December 1, 2021 |
| Sean Nahas | United States | December 1, 2021 | August 6, 2025 |
| Nathan Thackeray (interim) | England | August 6, 2025 | Present |
In 2024, select Courage games were broadcast locally on stations owned byCapitol Broadcasting Company.[49] Dean Linke was the play-by-play announcer, with analysts includingHeather O'Reilly,Jessica McDonald, and Kendall White.
In 2019, the NWSL broadcast partnership with A&E was terminated a year early, all games would be streamed on Yahoo! Sports in the United States and on the NWSL website for international viewers.[50]
In 2018, Courage games continued to be streamed onGo90, the NWSL website and select games were broadcast on Lifetime. AfterGo90 was shut down byVerizon on July 30, all games were available for streaming on the NWSL website.[51]
In 2017, Courage games were streamed exclusively byGo90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers.[52] As part of a three-year agreement withA&E Networks,Lifetime broadcasts oneNWSL Game of the Week on Saturday afternoons.[53][54] In 2017 season, the Courage were featured in nationalLifetimeNWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on June 3, July 1, August 19, and July 15, 2017.[55]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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