What’s Going on with the NC Courage?

June 21, 2021
By Hannah Cantrell

At the time of this writing, the North Carolina Courage is in very unfamiliar territory. After 5 games played in the 2021 season, they’re in sixth place. With two wins, one draw, and two losses. It’s still early in the season, but there’s definitely something different about this team than we’ve seen in years past.

Since the Courage’s inaugural year in 2017, they dominated the NWSL and secured first place each year (excluding the pandemic season of 2020). And it’s not just that they’ve won first place; they’ve steamrolled their way to the top spot season after season. They were the most formidable attacking team in the league, and it was almost impossible to break through their defense.

Let’s look at the changes that the North Carolina Courage have gone through this past year, how that has affected their season, and how they could find their way back to the top.

Roster Changes

Even though the team has a handful of the core veteran players returning, including Lynn Williams, Debinha, and captain Abby Erceg, the Courage’s lineup for the 2021 season is a lot different from 2019.

Missing is powerful striker Crystal Dunn, who the Courage traded to the Portland Thorns. Dunn scored seven goals in the 2019 season, which has left a dent in the team’s attacking power. Additionally, the Courage have lost several defenders, with Abby Dahlkemper signing to play overseas in England’s women’s league, defender Jaelene Daniels retiring, and defender Addisyn Merrick being drafted to Racing Louisville.

Injuries have also taken a toll on the Courage’s roster. Erceg suffered a back injury which could mean she’ll be out for part of the season. Merritt Matthias is coming back from being out for a year and a half with an ACL injury. This has meant putting players in different positions to fill in the gaps.

With new players, old players returning, and a new combination of players on the field, they are just starting to figure out how to play with each other again. The changes to the backline have especially affected the number of goals being scored against them, yet their Coach, Paul Riley, has stayed optimistic.

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Finding Their Way Back

Even though the Courage’s roster has gone through quite a bit of change, reliable veteran attackers like Lynn Williams, Debinha, and Jessica McDonald will continue to be an explosive force in the front. Captain Abby Erceg, Merritt Matthias, and Kaleigh Kurtz will fight to strengthen the backline with new talent coming in.

With all of the changes that the Courage has seen over the past year, it’ll be a struggle to return to the top, but Coach Paul Riley is in it for the long haul. “We have a combination of experience, youthful exuberance, and dynamic players that will take some time to gel, but once we find the right combinations and balance, we will be exciting to watch,” he said. It won’t happen overnight, but with time, the Courage will continue to improve their game.

Riley seems positive the Courage will return to their winning ways, but now that teams like the Pride have had a taste of the top spot (and experienced beating the Courage at their own stadium), it’ll be tough to knock them down. They’ll be fighting tooth and nail to prevent the Courage from hiking back up the standings. The rest of the 2021 season is sure to be interesting.

Featured Image via @NCCourage on Instagram