North Carolina Courage 1 – 0 Chicago Red Stars
HERRIMAN, UT — April 18th was circled on a lot of calendars. Not only was it scheduled to be opening day for the NWSL, it featured a rematch between the 2019 finalists.
A win in Game One of the 2020 season may not necessarily avenge their loss to North Carolina for the championship, but it would put some balm on the wound. But with the season put on hold, the Red Stars would have to wait another two and a half months to get another crack at the Courage.
The Courage brought some energy to start the match while Chicago worked out some early game nerves. North Carolina moved well on and off the ball and forced the Red Stars to face their goal through the first fifteen minutes.
North Carolina had some good looks at goal with a looping free kick from Debinha and two rockets off the foot of Sam Mewis. But Alyssa Naeher was able to punch away or smother anything that came on frame while Julie Ertz dropped back from her usual midfield position to anchor the back line.
As the first half approached the 20th minute, Chicago had their legs under them, and they were getting numbers at both ends of the field. The Red Stars had their first big chance in the 41st minute when Kealia Watt picked off Abby Dahlkemper at midfield and raced in on Courage keeper Katelyn Rowland. Dahlkemper got a hand on Watt’s shoulder to slow her down just enough for Abby Erceg to finish a recovery run as Watt got a weak shot off for an easy save for Rowland.
The teams went into the locker room at halftime deadlocked at zero. The Red Stars had reason to be pleased with their first half performance. Danielle Coloprico, Vanessa DiBernardo, and Morgan Gautraut held things down at midfield, frustrating the Courage and neutralizing Jaelene Daniels’ attack down the flank. Daniels had played every minute for North Carolina and the effects were beginning to show. She admitted after the game that she was beginning to feel the effects of playing so many games in quick succession.
North Carolina was less pleased with the opening half. “Our first half performance wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be,” said Courage captain Erceg. “When we came out [in the second half], we wanted to be a little bit sharper, a little bit quicker.”
Despite the fact that Rory Dames’ Red Stars give North Carolina more trouble than any other club, the last goal they scored on the Courage was nearly one year ago in their 2-1 win at home. And given North Carolina’s fitness level, it’s next to impossible to sustain a high press for 90 minutes without backing it up with a goal or two. The Courage have proven especially adept at waiting out their opponent and springing a goal against a tired defense.
That moment came in the game’s 81st minute. Coming off of a corner kick, Denise O’Sullivan sent the ball to Daniels about 30 yards out from the top of the 18 She popped a high, looping ball into the box where Erceg was still stationed after the corner kick. Erceg had a wide open header that bounced in off the bottom of the crossbar to put the Courage on top.
North Carolina kept up the late pressure. Lynn Williams nearly collected her fourth goal of the tournament in the 88th minute when she took the ball just outside the 18-yard box. She took a stride with it and uncorked a hard shot that forced the Red Stars goalkeeper into a diving save. Williams created two other close calls as the match ticked into stoppage time. In the 90th minute, her one-timer on a cross from rookie Hailie Mace just screamed wide of the post. Then in the 92nd minute, she battled with Casey Short in the box. Williams worked her way around the defender, but Short forced her to shoot the ball high.
The Red Stars committed all eleven players forward in the dying moments of the game. Second half sub Savannah McCaskill forced Ryan Williams to foul her. Naeher came down to take the free kick, which she lofted toward the box but the ball pinged through several players before Tori Penso blew the whistle to end the match.
Final notes
- Goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland and defender Ryan Williams got their first starts for the Courage this season.
- North Carolina head coach Paul Riley was effuse in his praise of his captain, Abby Erceg, likening her impact on the club to Virgin van Dijk at Liverpool.
- The shutout win was North Carolina’s second consecutive clean sheet in the tournament.
- There’s no question that Chicago misses the creativity and firepower of the departed Sam Kerr, but Kealia Watt is proving to be a strong acquisition for the Red Stars offense. Although she has yet to find the back of the net, she registered six shots in her first two games.
- North Carolina gets a week off to rest and recuperate before taking on Sky Blue FC on July 13 at 10 p.m. EDT. This match closes out the preliminary round of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.
Lineups
North Carolina Courage: K. Rowland; R. Williams, A. Dahlkemper, A. Erceg ©, J. Daniels; D. O’Sullivan, S. Mewis, C.l Dunn (L. Milliet, 70’), Debinha (M. Speck, 85’); K. Hamilton (H. Mace, 70’), L. Williams
Chicago Red Stars: A. Naeher; B. St. Georges (Z. Goralski, 87’), J. Ertz ©, S. Gorden, C. Short; D. Colaprico (S. McCaskill, 64’), M. Gautrat, V. Dibernardo; K. Watt (K. Johnson, 80’), Y. Nagasato (M. Doniak, 80’), R. Hill (M. Vasconcelos, 80’)
Score
North Carolina Courage 1
Chicago Red Stars 0
Goals
North Carolina Courage: A. Erceg (81’, J. Daniels)
Chicago Red Stars: none
Discipline
North Carolina Courage: none
Chicago Red Stars: none
