@nccourage.com's Manaka Matsukubo comes in at No. 1 on Spotrac's list of the Top-15 Under-22 players in the NWSL.

Our young SUPERSTAR 🌟 Congratulations, Manaka, on being named a top 3 finalist for AFC's Women's Youth Player of the Year award!

@nccourage.com's Denise O'Sullivan gets a release-day special card in EA's Cornerstones promo!

Just got done clipping Riley Jackson v Pride….Emma it’s time

riley be passin passin

Soccer, sunshine, and something special. We’re hitting the field in Durham on Oct 19th for a FREE clinic just for middle schoolers. ⚽️ Grades 5–8 📍 Durham Nativity School Let’s play, learn, and grow together. forms.gle/gGAgjkQoJeJK...

Per Opta: Shinomi Koyama’s 89' goal for North Carolina against Orlando on Friday was the 7th lead-changing goal (equalizer or go-ahead) scored by the Courage after the 80' this season, the most by any team in a single regular season since 2017. Never count the Courage out.

"Manaka has simply been invaluable this year ... She also leads the league in goal-creating actions with 11, and has her team’s highest non-penalty expected goals and assists by twice that of the next player with 10.6, per FBref."

Maycee Bell is up for Save of the Week as well!

@nccourage.com's Kaleigh Kurtz is nominated for NWSL Player of the Week. Go vote for KK on the NWSL's Instagram and X accounts!

4 - Shinomi Koyama is the fourth different Japanese international to score a regular-season goal for the @nccourage.com. Only Houston (Canada - 5) and Orlando (Brazil - 5) have had more players from a single country other than the U.S. score a goal for them. Nadeshiko.

With the win over the Orlando Pride, the Courage head into the remainder of the weekend slate above the playoff line and just two points out of third place. A lot can still shift before the end of the weekend, but the middle of the table is wildly congested.

Orange you glad we picked up 3 points tonight 😺

NC Courage Acting Head Coach Nathan Thackeray on Shinomi Koyama getting her first NWSL goal: "I am happy for her because she gives everything she possibly can. I don't think there was a blade of grass that hasn't been covered by Shinomi tonight."

Big day for the NWSL's Japanese players

Instant impact from Jacobs with the block! Not sure if she got her head on that or just the top bun, but either way it was just enough.

SHINOMI

Manaka's vision to head that ball back to Betfort for the chance...

Maycee Bell with a massive clearance off the line!

manaka tormenting defenders must be soccer o’ clock

Payton Linnehan with some really good runs and moments for the Courage early in this one. In addition to her assist last week, she was heavily involved in the buildup of Pinto's game-winner and the play that drew the PK against Utah. Strong run for her in the last few games.

Just one change from the XI that beat Angel City 2-1 last weekend with Cortnee Vine coming in for Brianna Pinto, who was listed as questionable on the Courage's availability report. Starting XI Notes: www.nccourage.com/news/startin...

Midfield maestro 💫

"If Manaka Matsukubo, at 21, has added this kind of strength and acceleration to her creativity and technique, the North Carolina Courage have a future MVP on their hands."

Manaka is up for Goal of the Week as well! Go vote!

Per Opta: Manaka (6 goals, 4 assists) is the 8th player to record 10 goal contributions in a single season for North Carolina and the first since Kerolin (13) in 2023. No other team has more than 6 different players with 10 goal contributions in a season since the Courage joined the NWSL in 2017.

@nccourage.com's Manaka Matsukubo has been nominated for NWSL Player of the Week. Head over to Instagram and X to vote.

@nccourage.com's Manaka Matsukubo comes in at No. 10 in ESPN's NWSL MVP Tracker 4.0 and she absolutely deserves to be in that conversation. 4th in goal contributions T-7th in goals T-5th in assists One of the most impactful players week in, week out. www.espn.com/soccer/story...

20 - Manaka Matsukubo and Brianna Pinto are the first @nccourage.com teammates to score in the opening 20 minutes of a regular-season #NWSL match since Lynn Biyendolo and Amy Rodriguez in October 2021. Eras.

Dani Weatherholt put in a quietly fantastic shift at left back against Angel City. 2/2 tackles 7/14 duels 2/2 dribbles 2 clearances

The Courage limited Riley Tiernan to just eight touches in the first half.

Evergreen statement

Massive impact from Payton Linnehan in her first start in Courage Country. Assist on Manaka's goal and put in the cross that led to Pinto's strike. And that's in less than half an hour.

-First start in a Courage kit for Linnehan -Newcomers Peña and Jacobs are both available off the bench -Weatherholt starts at LB, with Tyler Lussi moving up on the wing -Jordan gets the nod in net for the second week in a row Starting XI Notes: www.nccourage.com/news/startin...

Denise O'Sullivan, Ashley Sanchez and Casey Murphy are tied as the Courage's highest rated players at 82 in FC 26. Full Courage rankings: www.ea.com/games/ea-spo...

Thank you for the best four years, Malia 💙

Grateful to be part of your journey, Jae 🫶 We've completed a deal to send midfielder Jaedyn Shaw to Gotham FC for an NWSL-record $1.25 Million in intraleague transfer funds, the sixth seven-figure deal in women's football history. We wish you the best in your next chapter, Jae.

KK's rewriting the history books 📚 With tonight's start, Kaleigh Kurtz sets the NWSL record for most consecutive starts!

Jaedyn Shaw has the passing range to be incredibly dangerous from that No. 6 position and we've seen it a few times early in this game. Head up with a few yards and space and she is immediately looking for either a big switch or to find Vine/Pinto breaking in behind.

Consistency defined 💪 Kaleigh Kurtz sets a new NWSL regular season record for most consecutive starts!

IF THAT SHOT FROM SHINOMI WENT IN

A whole lot to talk about in this one: -Kaleigh Kurtz makes NWSL history -Jaedyn Shaw and Shinomi Koyama as the No. 6s -Ashley Sanhez and Cortnee Vine on the wings -Marisa Jordan makes her first NWSL regular season appearance Starting XI Notes: www.nccourage.com/news/startin...

Marisa Jordan makes her regular-season debut tonight 🧤

Some moments you never forget. For Sarah Grace Jobsis, those moments are what make being a Season Ticket Member unforgettable ❤️ Read the full feature and learn more about what it means to be an STM below!

KK has her sights set on history 👀 Tonight Kaleigh Kurtz has officially tied the NWSL’s record for consecutive regular season starts!

Dani Weatherholt and Malia Berkely enter the Starting XI, while Aline Gomes and Shinomi Koyama drop to the bench. Payton Linnehan, the newest member of Courage Country, is available off the bench. Starting XI Notes: www.nccourage.com/news/startin...

For NC Courage, this is the person you’re getting in Payton ‘Peeps’ Linnehan.

LINNEHAN LOGGING ON 💻

🔓 New character unlocked 🔜

✌️ more please! We have extended German international Feli Rauch's contract through the 2027 season. Herzlichen Glückwunsch, Feli!