The NC Courage fall 2-1 at home to San Diego Wave and sit ninth with two games left, but they still control their fate! Trevor and Katie preview the playoff picture, break down the match, and look ahead to a must-win trip to Portland. We also chat with Courage forward Gianna Paul.

In short, it all comes down to Portland 🤮. A win on Friday is a six-point swing that puts the Courage in the driver's seat. We walk through the best and worst-case scenarios.

Another early goal, another home loss. We talk giveaways in bad spots, a rotating back line, and a Courage goal built from the back with an Ashley Sanchez assist that finished with Vilde Bøe Risa. Plus, Ella Haste's debut and whether Mak Lind is waiting too long to make subs.

The Courage have never posted a losing home record, and only one Golden Boot winner has ever missed the playoffs. We run through the odd numbers behind a 13-3-12 season and what the Courage still have to play for.

Portland will be without Sophia Wilson. We break down why this West Coast match matters and why we need the win.

The new Courage forward talks about going from bookworm to pro, her time in Kansas City, why North Carolina feels like home, and her first professional goal.

Saturday was the fourth sellout of the season and the third highest crowd in club history!

Orlando is out, the Shield race is down to three teams, and a new cup competition is coming in 2028.

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NC Courage grind out a 1-0 win at Seattle Reign before the international break, snapping a three-game streak of one-goal losses. The Courage now sit above the playoff line in 8th. Trevor and Katie break down the full-team goal, the control the Courage showed, and the midfield gaps that still need cleaning up. Then they look ahead to a must-win rematch with San Diego Wave. Heads up: there is no episode next week; we'll be back after the San Diego match.

Gritty, controlled road wins are exactly what the Courage need in their arsenal. We break down the sequence from Ryan Williams and Erica Meg Parkinson's quick thinking on a throw-in to Gianna Paul's deflected finish. Plus, Ashley Sanchez's more central role and a defense that stepped forward instead of backward, and the midfield gaps Seattle still managed to expose.

Seattle outshot the Courage 17 to 10 and put 5 shots on target to the Courage's 2, so how did we walk away with 3 points? We dig into what the numbers say, including the defensive actions from Ryan Williams, Uno Shiragaki, Feli Rauch, and Natalie Jacobs.

The Courage host San Diego just weeks after a 2-1 loss out west. We break down why Riley Jackson's return matters, why we need to watch Trinity Byars and Melanie Barcenas, and how to make the San Diego goalkeeper work.

Riley Jackson is called up to the USWNT U-23s. Erica Meg Parkinson is on yellow card watch. And come out to the Uproar tailgate on October 17 for a chili cook-off.

A quick playoff picture update: Gotham and San Diego clinched, Washington is on the verge, and a tight race for the remaining spots.

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.