The Lions Pitch

OUR FIRST OF THE SEASON❕

It feels *SO GOOD* that she scores the first goal of the season. She's stuck through a lot for the team; well earned all around.

😂 It had to be her. That’s NWSL.

First 𝐗𝐈 of 2026 🤩

For more on our season opener lineup 👉 tinyurl.com/yc3p7tea

#NCvLOU

Debuts for Wickenhesier and Sheridan, while Jacobs wears the armband for the first time as one of the Courage's trio of captains.

Really looking forward to the midfield partnership of Jackson and Wickenheiser.

Starting XI Notes: www.nccourage.com/news/startin...

Action photo of Riley with the USWNT with text "Riley Jackson Called Up SheBelieves Cup"

She's back with the USWNT for the SheBelieves Cup 🤩

A look at the North Carolina Courage's preseason roster, framed by one question for each position group.

splat.cc/posts/2026-p...

This is a really awesome sign. Glad to see her investing another year in the club, and vice versa.

Correction 24 out of 26!

Needed to round out center backs, so this is a great signing.

Hard to imagine a Courage without Sully. We’ll miss her. 🫡

Ally Schlegel is ready for her next chapter in North Carolina Schlegel:

Sometimes you just have to touch some grass.

Spoke to Ally Schlegel about the difficult decision to leave Chicago, and what excites her about the North Carolina Courage

equalizersoccer.com/2025/12/16/a...

We sent a letter to the National Women’s Soccer League expressing serious concern about their decision to reject the Washington Spirit’s contract agreement with Trinity Rodman.

Bay FC hires ex-England U23 coach Coates National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team Bay FC have announced the appointment of former England U-23s manager Emma Coates as the club's new head coach, with assistant Gemma Davies also joining the ...

Bay FC has announced Emma Coates as its new head coach. Coates is the former England U-23 coach and was, as @emilyskeogh.bsky.social writes, highly regarded at the FA:

Schlegel and Manaka TOGETHER????

The North Carolina Courage have today announced the signing of free agent forward Ally Schlegel on a three-year, guaranteed contract through the 2028 NWSL season.

Without fail …

Maestro. Magician. Manaka Matsukubo. 🪄

Your 2025 Midfielder of the Year.

Next Up: The North Carolina Courage narrowly missed the playoffs -- a 1pt margin -- and had their lowest finish since joining the league in 2017

www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/30...

The Kansas City Current announced Vlatko Andonovski, who served as HC and sporting director since Oct 2023, will transition into a new role as the global sporting director

The search for its next head coach begins now & Andonovski will continue his role as head coach until his successor is named

Season recap: what needs to stay steady for 2026 - The Lion's Pitch In one of our final newsletters of 2025, I described the Courage season as primarily feeling like "unfinished business" – referencing a squad that showed intense promise at times, but fell short of th...

Newsletter went out! PHEW! Also, here's part 1 of 3 of our post-season recap: what the Courage should keep heading into 2026. www.lionspitch.com/season-recap...

End of an era in Courage country as their 4x ironwoman and alternate captain moves on after a great run.

In clearly the most important consequence, the Courage will need to find another designated Hurricanes fan for all their cross-promotion.

Thank You Kaleigh Kurtz graphic featuring two media day photos of her

Photo of Kaleigh Kurtz in her Ironwoman mask and frame with allocates listed "4x Ironwoman, 3x NWSL Shields, 2x NWSL Championships, 2x NWSL Challenge Cups, Consecutive minutes played league record"

KK quote graphic "Thank you to the North Carolina Courage! You are the team that made me a true professional, developed me into the player I am today, and introduced me to some of the most amazing women! And to the fans — your unwavering support through every storm, every season, and every cheer means more than words can express. You made North Carolina feel like family. The last 8 years are forever stamped on my heart, and I'm proud to have called North Carolina my home!"

Thank you, KK, for 8 record-breaking years with the Courage 🦾

Wishing free agent Kaleigh Kurtz the best in her next journey!

Final Whistle, Next Chapter

Our final regular episode of the season is out now, including a breakdown of the Gotham match and a post-season recap. Listen wherever you get your podcasts! #nwsl #nccourage

open.spotify.com/episode/3xjw...

😱 😍 🥅

CAST MANAKA IN BRONZE

Ann-Katrin Berger and Feli Rauch link up in North Carolina for a German reunion 🇩🇪

Presented by Google Pixel

Marta is ready for a little Decision Day chaos ✌️

Sully back 💪

Bell in, presumably to help against Gotham’s fierce press.

But it all means Sanchez is a sub 🧐

Starting XI Graphic featuring a photo of Meredith Speck and the XI listed: Murphy, Bell, Kurtz, Williams, Jacobs, O'Sullivan (C), Jackson, Shinomi, Linnehan, Speck, Manaka

Our XI pushing for the playoffs.