2022 North Carolina Courage season

The 2022 North Carolina Courage season was the team's sixth season as a professional women's soccer team. North Carolina Courage plays in the National Women's Soccer League, the top tier of women's soccer in the United States.

North Carolina Courage
2022 season
OwnerStephen Malik
Club PresidentFrancie Gottsegen
Head CoachSean Nahas
StadiumSahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park
Cary, North Carolina
(Capacity: 10,000)
NWSL Regular Season7th
NWSL Challenge CupChampions (1st title)
Top goalscorerLeague: Debinha (12)
All: Debinha (17)
Highest home attendance6,376
(Sept. 24 vs. NJ/NY)
Lowest home attendance3,084
(May 18 vs. ORL)
Average home league attendance4,195
Biggest win5–1 (Sept. 10 vs. LOU)
Biggest defeat0–2 (July 1 vs. OL Reign)
← 2021
2023 →

Challenge Cup

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The Challenge Cup is the NWSL's primary league cup tournament. It was first played in 2020 following the cancellation of the regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Angel City and San Diego, new expansion clubs, competed for the first time in the Challenge Cup. In the 2021 cup, North Carolina had failed to advance beyond the group stage. The twelve league teams were divided into three groups, with North Carolina initially competing twice against the other three teams in its group: Gotham, Orlando, and Washington.[1]

Group stage

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March 19, 2022 North Carolina Courage 2–0 NJ/NY Gotham FC Cary, North Carolina
19:00
  • Pinto   22'
  • Erceg   51'
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 2,537
Referee: Karen Callado
March 26, 2022 North Carolina Courage 1–0 Orlando Pride Cary, North Carolina
19:00
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 3,328
Referee: Joshua Encarnación
March 30, 2022 Washington Spirit 2–2 North Carolina Courage Washington, D.C.
19:30
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 2,155
Referee: Danielle Chesky
April 3, 2022 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1–1 North Carolina Courage Harrison, New Jersey
15:00
Report
Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Referee: Laura Rodriguez
April 16, 2022 Orlando Pride 2–4 North Carolina Courage Orlando, Florida
19:00
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Referee: Alyssa Nichols
April 23, 2022 North Carolina Courage 2–2 Washington Spirit Cary, North Carolina
13:00
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Referee: Eric Tattersall

Divisional standings

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Pos Team Pld W T L GF GA GD Pts Qualification NC WAS NJY ORL
1 North Carolina Courage 6 3 3 0 12 7 +5 12 Advance to knockout stage 2–2 2–0 1–0
2 Washington Spirit 6 2 4 0 12 7 +5 10 Advance to knockout stage based on ranking 2–2 1–1 4–1
3 NJ/NY Gotham FC 6 1 3 2 5 8 −3 6 1–1 1–3 1–1
4 Orlando Pride 6 0 2 4 4 11 −7 2 2–4 0–0 0–1
Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: 1) Total points; 2) Total goal differential; 3) Total number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points record; 5) Head-to-head goal differential; 6) Head-to-head number of goals scored; 7) Fewest disciplinary points; 8) Drawing of lots

Knockout stage

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May 4, 2022 Semifinal Kansas City Current 1–2 North Carolina Courage Kansas City, Kansas
19:30 CDT
Report
Stadium: Children's Mercy Park
Attendance: 4,093
Referee: Natalie Simon

Championship

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May 7 Final North Carolina Courage 2–1 Washington Spirit Cary, North Carolina
13:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 3,163
Referee: Katja Koroleva

  Win

Regular season

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The 2022 season of the National Women's Soccer League saw 12 teams play 22 matches: one against every other team, with one match at each club's stadium. Three points were awarded for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats. At the end of the season, the top two teams qualify for first-round byes in the NWSL Playoffs, while four more teams play in an opening playoff round.[2]

Matches

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April 29 1 Angel City FC 2–1 North Carolina Courage Los Angeles
19:30 PDT
Report
Stadium: Banc of California Stadium
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Samantha Martinez
May 18 2 North Carolina Courage 1–2 Orlando Pride Cary, North Carolina
19:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 3,084
May 22 3 North Carolina Courage 0–1 San Diego Wave FC Cary, North Carolina
14:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 6,070
May 29 4 Houston Dash 1–1 North Carolina Courage Houston, Texas
18:00 CDT
Report
Stadium: PNC Stadium
Attendance: 4,852
June 4 5 Racing Louisville FC 0–3 North Carolina Courage Louisville, Kentucky
20:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 5,738
June 11 6 Washington Spirit 2–3 North Carolina Courage Leesburg, Virginia
19:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: Segra Field
Attendance: 4,236
June 19 7 North Carolina Courage 3–4 Houston Dash Cary, North Carolina
17:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: Sahlen's Stadium
Attendance: 4,117
July 1 8 OL Reign 2–0 North Carolina Courage Seattle
19:00 PDT
Report
Stadium: Lumen Field
Attendance: 7,519
July 10 9 Chicago Red Stars 2–2 North Carolina Courage Bridgeview, Illinois
17:00 CDT
Report
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium
Attendance: 4,098
Referee: Alyssa Nichols
July 29 10 North Carolina Courage 3–3 Washington Spirit Cary, North Carolina
19:30 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 5,211
Referee: John Griggs
Note: Match was halted for lightning at the 24th minute and resumed after an hour's delay.[3] Courage defender Jaelene Daniels refused to wear a pride-themed jersey for the match and was subsequently not rostered.[4][5]
August 5 11 Portland Thorns FC 3–3 North Carolina Courage Portland, Oregon
19:30 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 17,139
August 13 12 North Carolina Courage 3–4 Kansas City Current Cary, North Carolina
20:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 5,092
Referee: Anya Voigt
August 20 13 North Carolina Courage 4–1 Chicago Red Stars Cary, North Carolina
19:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 3,571
August 24 14 North Carolina Courage 3–1 Portland Thorns FC Cary, North Carolina
19:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 3,114
Referee: Karen Callado
Note: Rescheduled from May 7 to accommodate Challenge Cup final
August 28 15 Kansas City Current 3–2 North Carolina Courage Kansas City, Kansas
18:00 CDT
Report
Stadium: Children's Mercy Park
Attendance: 7,395
Referee: Malik Badawi[6]
September 4 16 NJ/NY Gotham FC 0–1 North Carolina Courage Harrison, New Jersey
17:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Attendance: 3,124
Referee: Danielle Chesky
Note: Originally scheduled for May 14, 2022, but delayed due to COVID-19 player availability
September 10 17 North Carolina Courage 5–1 Racing Louisville FC Cary, North Carolina
19:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 3,297[7]
Referee: Samantha Martinez
September 14 18 North Carolina Courage 1–0 Angel City FC Cary, North Carolina
19:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 3,661
Referee: Alex Billeter[8]
Note: Rescheduled from July 15 due to league COVID-19 protocols.[9]
September 17 19 North Carolina Courage 1–2 OL Reign Cary, North Carolina
19:30 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 6,398
September 21 20 Orlando Pride 0–3 North Carolina Courage Orlando, Florida
19:00 EDT Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 3,258
Referee: Adorae Monroy
September 24 21 North Carolina Courage 3–0 NJ/NY Gotham FC Cary, North Carolina
19:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 6,376
September 30 22 San Diego Wave FC 0–0 North Carolina Courage San Diego
19:00 PDT
Report
  • Bench   90+3'
Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Elijio Arreguin

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 OL Reign 22 11 7 4 32 19 +13 40 NWSL Shield, Playoffs – semi-finals
2 Portland Thorns FC (C) 22 10 9 3 49 24 +25 39 Playoffs – semi-finals
3 San Diego Wave FC 22 10 6 6 32 21 +11 36 Playoffs – first round
4 Houston Dash 22 10 6 6 35 27 +8 36
5 Kansas City Current 22 10 6 6 29 29 0 36
6 Chicago Red Stars 22 9 6 7 34 28 +6 33
7 North Carolina Courage 22 9 5 8 46 33 +13 32
8 Angel City FC 22 8 5 9 23 27 −4 29
9 Racing Louisville FC 22 5 8 9 23 35 −12 23
10 Orlando Pride 22 5 7 10 22 45 −23 22
11 Washington Spirit 22 3 10 9 26 33 −7 19
12 NJ/NY Gotham FC 22 4 1 17 16 46 −30 13
Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(C) Champions

Results summary

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Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
22 9 5 8 46 33  +13 32 5 1 5 27 18  +9 4 4 3 19 15  +4

Last updated: September 30, 2022.
Source: NWSLsoccer.com

Results by matchday

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Matchday12345678910111213141516171819202122
StadiumAHHAAAHAAHAHHHAAHHHAHA
ResultLLLDWWLLDDDLWWLWWWLWWD
Position12121211121212121212121210999888887
Updated to match(es) played on September 30, 2022. Source: NWSL
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Players

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As of September 30, 2022.

North Carolina has used a total of 30 players during the 2022 season, and there have been 14 different goal scorers. There have also been three squad members — forward Valérie Gauvin, who was traded to the Houston Dash on August 23, 2022;[10] midfielder Haleigh Stackpole; and goalkeeper Marisa Bova — who have not made a first-team appearance in the campaign.

The team has scored a total of 60 goals in all competitions. The highest scorers have been Debinha with 17 goals, and Diana Ordoñez with 12 goals.

Key

Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with name struck through and marked † left the club during the playing season.

Player statistics
No. Pos. Nat. Name Challenge Cup NWSL Total
Apps Goals     Apps Goals     Apps Goals    
0 GK   Katelyn Rowland 8 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 12 0 0 0
1 GK   Casey Murphy 0 0 0 0 18 0 0 0 18 0 0 0
2 DF   Taylor Smith 8 (3) 2 1 0 4 (2) 0 0 0 12 (5) 2 1 0
3 DF   Kaleigh Kurtz 8 0 1 0 22 3 2 0 30 3 3 0
4 DF   Carson Pickett 7 (1) 0 0 0 20 (1) 1 0 0 27 (2) 1 0 0
5 MF   Brianna Pinto 7 (3) 1 1 0 22 (5) 1 1 0 29 (8) 2 2 0
6 DF   Abby Erceg 8 1 1 0 19 1 0 0 27 2 1 0
7 MF   Malia Berkely 7 (2) 1 2 0 16 (5) 0 0 0 23 (7) 1 2 0
8 MF   Denise O'Sullivan 8 0 0 0 19 (1) 1 3 0 27 (1) 1 3 0
9 FW   Kerolin 5 (2) 1 0 0 13 6 3 0 18 (2) 7 3 0
10 MF   Debinha 7 5 0 0 18 12 0 0 25 17 0 0
11 DF   Merritt Mathias 8 1 2 0 19 (7) 0 3 0 27 (7) 1 5 0
12 FW   Diana Ordoñez 6 (4) 1 1 0 19 (2) 11 0 0 25 (6) 12 1 0
13 DF   Ryan Williams 3 (3) 0 0 0 18 (8) 0 0 0 21 (11) 0 0 0
14 DF   Katie Bowen 1 (1) 0 0 0 2 (1) 0 0 0 3 (2) 0 0 0
15 DF   Jaelene Daniels 8 (2) 1 0 0 19 (11) 1 2 0 27 (13) 2 2 0
16 MF   Emily Gray 4 (2) 0 1 0 3 (1) 0 1 0 7 (3) 0 2 0
19 MF   Havana Solaun 1 0 0 0 1 (1) 0 0 0 2 (1) 0 0 0
23 DF   Kiki Pickett 5 (2) 0 1 0 4 (4) 0 0 0 9 (6) 0 1 0
24 MF   Frankie Tagliaferri 0 0 0 0 5 (3) 0 0 0 5 (3) 0 0 0
25 MF   Meredith Speck 8 (5) 0 0 0 19 (10) 1 2 0 27 (15) 1 2 0
27 FW   Brittany Ratcliffe 0 0 0 0 10 (7) 2 1 0 10 (7) 2 1 0
28 MF   Tess Boade 1 (1) 0 0 0 5 (1) 2 0 0 6 (2) 2 0 0
29 FW   Rylee Baisden 1 0 0 0 9 (8) 1 1 0 10 (8) 1 1 0
33 FW   Jorian Baucom 1 0 2 0 6 (5) 0 2 0 7 (5) 0 4 0

Source: [11][12]

References

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  1. ^ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL" (PDF). www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  2. ^ Bonn, Kyle (May 7, 2022). "What is the NWSL Challenge Cup? Explaining the 2022 season-opening soccer competition". Sporting News. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  3. ^ Carlisle, André (July 29, 2022). "Recap: A lightning delay, a lot of goals, questionable refereeing, and the Spirit's eighth draw". Black and Red United. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  4. ^ Henderson, Cydney (July 29, 2022). "NC Courage's Jaelene Daniels sitting out team's Pride Night due to jersey". USA Today. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  5. ^ "NC Courage defender Jaelene Daniels refuses to play in Pride jersey". ESPN. July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  6. ^ "Kansas City Current vs. North Carolina Courage - Football Match Summary". ESPN. August 28, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  7. ^ "North Carolina Courage vs. Racing Louisville FC - Football Match Summary". ESPN. September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  8. ^ "North Carolina Courage vs. Angel City FC - Football Match Summary". ESPN. September 14, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  9. ^ Rodriguez, Alicia (July 13, 2022). "Friday's Angel City game at North Carolina Courage postponed". Angels on Parade. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  10. ^ "Dash acquire forward Valérie Gauvin from North Carolina Courage". Dynamo Theory. August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  11. ^ "Stats - Players". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  12. ^ "Stats - Goalkeepers". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved October 1, 2022.