Episode Details

The NC Courage draw Gotham FC on the road, remaining unbeaten in their first two matches of the season. Trevor and Katie break down the match, look ahead to a struggling Bay FC, and dig into an encouraging culture shift within the Courage.

In This Episode

Looking Back: NC Courage vs Gotham FC

Debuts from Evelyn Ijeh, Sydney Schmidt, and Uno Shiragaki injected new energy into the match. We break down Mak Lind's surprise back five and the growing Carly Wickhenheiser and Riley Jackson partnership.

Standout Stats

Gotham had 59% possession and twice as many passes in the Courage's half, so why didn't it feel that way? We dig into what the numbers actually tell us.

Looking Ahead: Bay FC

Bay comes to WakeMed missing key defenders and with questions up front. We break down what to expect from Saturday's home match and make our picks for the starting XI.

Courage News

Lind and Ryan Williams both spoke this week about celebrating small wins and building a culture of positive reinforcement.

Around the League

Six red cards through two match days compared to 11 in all of 2025. We look at what's driving the surge. Plus, congratulations to Manaka Matsukubo and Japan on winning the AFC Women's Asian Cup.

About The Lion’s Pitch Podcast

Welcome to The Lion’s Pitch, your go-to podcast for everything North Carolina Courage. Every week, Trevor and Katie break down the latest matches, preview upcoming opponents, discuss NC Courage news, and take a look around the NWSL. Plus, we’ll bring you bonus episodes with interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and some fun surprises along the way.

New episode drops every Thursday.

Subscribe & Follow

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and find us online at lionspitch.com, follow us on Bluesky @lionspitch.bsky.social, or on Instagram @thelionspitch

• Hosted by Trevor Knoblich and Katie Cleary
• Produced by Mary Pruter
• Edited by Danielle Russell

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