The NC Courage fall 2-1 to Utah Royals despite a historic evening from Ashley Sanchez, who ties the NWSL single-season goal-scoring record. Trevor and Katie break down familiar midfield issues, celebrate a wave of international call-ups, and look ahead to a must win match against Seattle who sit right above us. A win would edge us back into the playoffs.

Ashley Sanchez, who has made it impossible to ignore her, earns her first USWNT call-up in two years, with Emma Hayes praising both her scoring and improved off-ball work. Erica Meg Parkinson gets a second senior call-up with England for playoff qualifiers against Greece after missing the U-23 World Cup, and Evelyn Ijeh is called up for Sweden. Later in the episode, we discuss the other exciting call-ups.

Ashley Sanchez ties the NWSL all-time single-season goal-scoring record with her 20th goal. She's now quadrupled her former goal high. Riley Jackson returned to the lineup and played a planned 60 minutes. But the same issues that have plagued the team for weeks resurfaced once Jackson came off, leaving gaps in midfield that Utah exploited for their second goal. We also dig into the team's predictable attack down the left side toward Ashley Sanchez.

Seattle has won three of its last five matches, but doesn't score a ton of goals. We believe this is a winnable match, something we desperately need before heading into the international break. We break down Seattle's disruptive defensive identity and Sam Meza's yellow card situation. A win would put us above Seattle and back into the playoffs.

International call-ups for Uno Shiragaki (Japan), Vilde Bøe Risa (Norway), and Kailen Sheridan and Carly Wickenheiser (Canada). We also discuss a couple of great videos the team has dropped, including a video profile with Hannah Betfort on anxiety and mental health, and a get-to-know video with Bia.

Atlanta's NWSL expansion team is officially named Atlanta City FC and will play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. A Defector report on the league's annual misconduct complaint disclosures raises questions about transparency. And Bay FC hires former Chelsea director Paul Green as their new Chief Football Officer.

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 wherever you get your podcasts and find us online at lionspitch.com, follow us on Bluesky @lionspitch.bsky.social, or on Instagram @thelionspitch

• Hosted by Trevor Knoblich and Katie Cleary
• Produced by Mary Pruter
• Edited by Danielle Russell

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