Cary, NC - The North Carolina Courage return to action after the FIFA break to play Sky Blue FC in Piscataway, New Jersey on Saturday, September 7 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The NC Courage are in second place in the NWSL with two games in hand.
Heading into the 19th week of the NWSL season, many Courage players are on the league’s leaderboards. Lynn Williams is tied for first place in the league with five assists. She also holds second place in the league in shots and shots on goal having taken 58 shots with 29 being on target. Kristen Hamilton is tied for third place for goals scored in 2019 with eight.
The Courage earned a win in their last match against Reign FC after an 82nd-minute goal by Williams. Crystal Dunn provided Williams with the assist after receiving a perfectly placed through ball from Jessica McDonald in what was a textbook play that was nominated for NWSL Goal of the Week. The NC Courage took 26 shots in the game, dominating the offensive possession.
Sky Blue FC last played on August 24 against the Houston Dash. Sky Blue was able to come out of the game with three points thanks to two goals by Carli Lloyd. Lloyd scored in the 26th and 41st minutes before the Dash scored in stoppage time. Sky Blue FC held on to the game to earn their fourth win of the season.
During the international break, seven Courage players saw action with their respective countries. McDonald, Dunn, Samantha Mewis, and Abby Dahlkemper helped lead the USWNT to two more wins in the Victory Tour. Hamilton earned her first cap with the USWNT in the September 3 Victory Tour match when she entered the game as a substitution. The Victory Tour will culminate at the beginning of October with games in Charlotte and Chicago.
Debinha spent time during the FIFA break with Brazil, scoring one goal in her team’s 5-0 victory over Argentina. Denise O’Sullivan joined the Irish National Team for a qualifying match for the 2021 European Women’s Championship. O’Sullivan started and played 90 minutes in Ireland’s 2-0 win over Montenegro.
Up Next:
The North Carolina Courage will host the Orlando Pride on Saturday, September 14 at 7 p.m. for Breast Cancer Awareness Night at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park presented by Aetna.
Players to Watch:
North Carolina Courage- #15 Jaelene Hinkle
Hinkle is the only player on the Courage to have played every minute of every game during the 2019 season. The left back is known for moving up in down the sideline and playing in long crosses to her teammates. Hinkle has four assists in 2019 and will look for more against Sky Blue FC.
Sky Blue FC- #10 Carli Lloyd
The captain of the USWNT has come back from the World Cup ready to play. She has scored two goals and had one assist since her return to NWSL play. The veteran will look to add to her stat line against the NC Courage.
