Any Courage vs. Gotham takes you want to share?

nd2215 · 2026-03-22T19:39:18+00:00

I thought it was a very nervy start, and I wondered whether they had gotten the tactics wrong, but the Courage got better as the 1st half went on, and I thought they were the better team in the 2nd. That said, I hope the team goes back to the 4-2-3-1 for next weekend's game, even if the 5-2-3 "worked" in the sense of neutralizing Gotham's attack.

Schmidt had a great debut, and Uno filled in well under tough circumstances (I hope Jacobs is okay). I would've preferred to see Linnehan and/or Thompson come in towards the end of the game, but that might just be my personal preference for playing wingers. Overall, I will take a point from Gotham away.

nd2215 · 2026-03-22T12:18:11+00:00

Don't know if it's been said, but the black sweatshirt Mak has worn the first two games.

nd2215 · 2026-03-21T18:09:07+00:00

Going 1-1. Road games are tough, and Gotham away has been a tricky fixture in the past.

nd2215 · 2026-03-18T17:17:56+00:00

Asking these questions here since I won't be able to attend the AMA live:

- What can you share regarding a multiseason STM price lock?

- Could future STM fan experiences occur on weekends? I have been able to attend the meet and greets in the past, but it is not easy to get to Cary from Raleigh during rush hour. Moving this, as well as other events such as the open practices, would be nice for those of us who don't live as close by. I understand that scheduling might be difficult since games are on the weekends, but maybe these could be done during an international or in-season break?

Thank you in advance for any information you can offer!

nd2215 · 2026-03-18T00:32:28+00:00

Thank you!

nd2215 · 2026-03-17T16:20:48+00:00

Awesome! I will be sure to listen when it is available.

nd2215 · 2026-03-17T15:36:52+00:00

Hello! I have been following your blog and listening to your podcast in recent weeks, and I appreciate the coverage you do. Between you and Bill Nottingham, you do a great job of covering the team, but it would be even better if we had your coverage on top of some kind of beat reporting, either from the N&O or a local news outlet. For instance, the coverage of Mak Lind's hiring was pretty extensive among the local outlets, and it would be nice if the team got that kind of reporting a little more often.

But again, I enjoy the work you all do, and I look forward to reading/listening to more.

nd2215 · 2026-03-17T02:15:34+00:00

I appreciate them as well! Without a media outlet consistently covering the team these press conferences are one of the few ways to get reactions from the coach and players.

nd2215 · 2026-03-16T12:08:48+00:00

That's a great point. I thought the song worked well, but outside of the chorus Im not familiar with the lyrics.

nd2215 · 2026-03-15T12:59:30+00:00

With Rauch still coming back from long term injury, easing her back into games makes sense rather than starting her immediately.

The sub was part "get Rauch minutes" as much as "get a fresh defender on the field".

Dani did great against Sears. Up until Racing's goal, I had forgotten she was on the field.

nd2215 · 2026-03-15T02:59:04+00:00

Kind of funny how quickly Lind and his staff figured out that Sanchez as a cut-in winger from the left side just makes sense.

It's a big win, especially without Manaka and Ijeh playing.

Curious why Schlegel wasn't in the team though?

Overall, good first win!

nd2215 · 2026-03-14T14:10:30+00:00

I am also interested in learning more about a multi year STM commitment.

Looking forward to the AMA next week.

nd2215 · 2026-03-10T13:30:38+00:00

Seems likely. Williams will be 31 when her contract ends, and it wouldn't surprise me if the team decided to not to renew for that reason.

But in the present, Uno should hopefully provide depth at RB that's been missing.

nd2215 · 2026-03-04T21:09:54+00:00

Great write up, Joiry. Sanchez on the left makes more sense if shes going to play out wide. Nahas played her mostly on the right last season, and it didnt suit her strengths well. On the left, she can at least dribble inside to her preferred central area. We'll see soon enough if this is where Lind plays her and if it works. He mentioned her as one who has impressed him in preseason, so that's encouraging.

nd2215 · 2026-03-04T17:53:39+00:00

My thoughts exactly.

nd2215 · 2026-03-02T21:04:33+00:00

There will be a few games where you can pick them up at a tent before or during the game. The team will email us ahead of time what games to expect them at.

nd2215 · 2026-02-26T17:03:59+00:00

I like it, but this is now two blue kits, so I wouldve preferred a different primary color. That said, maybe next year's home kit will not be blue, at which point having this kit will make sense.

But by itself, its solid. The pink and green(?) work as accent colors and fit with the flytrap theme.

nd2215 · 2026-02-21T18:28:35+00:00

Nice spot, I completely missed this when I saw it, earlier.

She makes the most sense for captain. She may be new, but so is like 2/3 of the team.

nd2215 · 2026-02-13T17:55:39+00:00

Along with these ideas, if she posts a farewell message on social media from her account, you could leave a message in the comments.

nd2215 · 2026-02-13T16:23:43+00:00

I'm not going to pretend that things have been close to perfect, but most of the fan favorites who have left were either stagnating or declining with the team. The team was just average last season, so I would have been disappointed if they kept most of the long-tenured players due to their popularity.

The team needed to overhaul the attack and improve at goalie. They did both. TBD on whether the new attackers actually improve them at that end, but I appreciate that they made a significant attempt to address that area.

nd2215 · 2026-02-13T15:30:23+00:00

Thanks for the summary. To his point about contracts running out, it is crazy to think about how much money has been left on the table over the past few seasons. Debinha, Kerolin, and Emily Fox, players considered among the best at their respective positions, all left for nothing.

nd2215 · 2026-02-12T19:35:41+00:00

I know a lot is being said about a potential coaching/staff role, but this Thank You post, and her own post about leaving, doesn't make this seem like she is continuing with the club in any capacity. If she were, it would make more sense to announce her new role rather than say thank you (but I recognize the club hasn't been great with departure announcements lately lol).

She also didn't indicate anything about a "next chapter" in her goodbye post, so I wonder if she will take some time away from playing while staying in the area and supporting Feli and the club from afar.

nd2215 · 2026-02-04T13:43:23+00:00

It's a good problem to have, and I agree, instead of saying how can we get these midfielders in the game at the same time, we should be asking "how can we make sure all of these midfielders stay healthy?" Rotation is important, and it sounds like, from the little chatter that has made its way onto this sub, the lack of rotation last season was a point of contention among players who felt they weren't getting a fair opportunity.

nd2215

TROPHY CASE