GOOD MORNING COURAGE COUNTRY!
IT IS FINALLY HERE! MATCH. WEEK. 1.
THE 2024 SEASON IS UPON US!
Welcome to Issue #3 of The Lion’s Pitch. Thanks for hanging in through our pre-season retrospectives, and for being patient as we smooth out details and logistics with this newsletter.
Like the warmth of the spring sun, the NWSL soccer season finally is here to thaw our frigid souls. I have some exciting news to share, and we’ll turn to our first opponents, the Houston Dash.
New podcast! Trailer TODAY!
I’m thrilled to announce the launch of The Lion’s Pitch podcast, where I’ll be joined by co-host and analyst Katie. A trailer will be live later today to introduce the format. The first full episode will release next week, and Katie and I will briefly recap the game and look ahead to the Utah Royals matchup. We’re also lining up plenty of special guests, so you’ll be getting some great content straight out of the gate.
You’ll be able to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and can find out more once the episode is live at lionspitch.com.
Also, we’ve set up an X / Twitter account @lionspitch if you’re looking for a place to follow along and share!
Things are taking off.
Look ahead: Houston Dash
Among the many coaching changes this year, Houston had one of the most interesting, hiring Fran Alonso from Celtic FC Women, near Glasgow. It will likely bring an all-new look to the team, though as with any coaching change, how quickly players can adapt to a new system remains to be seen.
Beyond that, Houston had a successful offseason. Most notably, they made a massive 3-year, $1.5 million deal to retain forward María Sánchez, making her the highest paid player in the NWSL until Chicago’s subsequent $2m offer to Mallory Swanson eclipsed it. Houston also acquired Cece Kizer and an international spot from Kansas City in exchange for Nichelle Prince. Plus, the Dash acquired five picks in the College Draft, starting with UNC Forward Avery Patterson and Notre Dame midfielder Kiki Van Zanten. Combined with former Courage forward Diana Ordóñez, Houston has a pretty solid forward group. It should be a boost for the team with the fewest goals and second-fewest shots on goal of any team in the league last year.
On the other hand, their back line took a hit in the offseason with Caprice Dydasco going to Bay FC, so it will be interesting to see how they set up for this match. If we can quickly get into the attacking third, we’ll create some good opportunities. Even so, keeper Jane Campbell was transcendent in Houston’s 2023 season, winning NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year. The NWSL stated Houston was one goal away from fewest allowed in the 2023 season.
In 2023 competition, the Courage won both matches against Houston 1-0 (but an asterisk here: one was the match that got partially rained out, with the win awarded to the Courage). It’s worth noting that Houston saw more success on the road than at home.
The NWSL subreddit is organizing some fun pre-season previews, so if you want a deeper dive on the Dash, check out their Countdown to Kickoff 2023: Houston Dash for a look at Alonso’s history with Celtic FC, the anticipated starting XI and further analysis by position.
The Courage are joining The Soccer Tournament
The Soccer Tournament, a wild 7 v. 7 soccer tournament in which teams compete for a $1m prize, returns to Cary for its second year. I went to last year’s inaugural event and it was super fun; the games are short and enjoyable even for the most casual fans.
They’ve improved over last year by offering a $1m prize for both men’s and women’s teams – they had to compete against one another last year. And our newly-minted club ambassador and former player, Jessica McDonald, will helm a team on behalf of the Courage!
A lot of globally recognized squads field former players in this way, so the tournament is a great chance to see some legends.
I am super pumped!!!! LFG! 🙌🏽 https://t.co/dmbmVHkVfb
— Jessica McDonald (@J_Mac1422) March 9, 2024
Other Courage news
- The Courage signed all three of its 2024 draft picks: Talia Staude, Julia Dorsey and Landy Mertz.
- Here’s the NWSL subreddit’s Kickoff Countdown for the Courage.
- Tyler Trent did a preseason press conference recap on X / Twitter.
- Jeff Reuter at The Athletic did “one player to watch” for each team in the NWSL; Courage center back Kaleigh Kurtz gets some much-deserved accolades (subscription required).
Around the league and beyond
- Wow. Kansas City Current’s new locker room is awesome. 👀
- Y’all! Wrexham AFC Women will make their first US trip. If they don’t come to Cary, I will personally craft some sort of twisted revenge prank on Rob and Ryan.
- CONCACAF announced a new North American women’s club tournament starting in August. While details are slim, the US will be able to field 3 teams in the group stage.
- The USWNT had a waterlogged, sopping mess of a match against Canada, ultimately winning a spot in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup final in penalty kicks. It was nerve-wracking to watch. The Wave’s Jaedyn Shaw continues to be 🔥.
- The team went on to beat Brazil 1-0 to win the Gold Cup. For the lone goal, Lindsey Horan headed the ball in on a perfect cross from … who else? Emily Fox.
That’s it for this week! As always, you can get in touch with tips, suggestions, corrections and more: contact@lionspitch.com.
Next match: Saturday, March 16, 7:00 pm ET
North Carolina Courage v. Houston Dash
Opening match. Home game.
Streaming on: NWSL+ Sign up for free here.