The North Carolina Courage are currently preparing for the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season, having just returned to North Carolina following a two-week training camp at IMG Academy in Florida. This is the second straight preseason to feature a team trip, visiting Mexico in 2023 for a unique experience that culminated in a friendly match with two-time Liga MX Femenil champions Rayadas de C.F. Monterrey in an international friendly.
That game at historic Estadio BBVA was the start of a relationship between the two teams, both historical powerhouses in their respective leagues. As part of the continued relationship, Marisa Bova and Brianna Pinto got to start 2024 with 18 days of training with Rayadas in Monterrey in January of this year.
“Being in Monterrey and just being immersed in the culture was truly a great experience, especially as we were preparing for preseason with the North Carolina Courage. It was a good way to get some extra touches in an organized training setting, learn some things that are different, to kind of tackle the language barrier and practice our Spanish and just understand the way their team functions,” Pinto said.
In addition to training with the first team, the pair got a chance to take in the culture of both the club and the city, attending both men’s and women’s games, exploring the local food scene and learning about the region’s history at the Parque Fundidora.
“Off the field, [my favorite memory] was trying the food and getting to really be in local neighborhoods and getting to speak with people who’ve lived there all their lives. They were so interested in why we’re coming to Monterrey, so getting to share our stories with them was really special,” Pinto said.
For both Pinto and Bova, the food was a massive hit, especially the chilaquiles.
“Mexican breakfast is elite. I had no idea it was that good. It’s so good,” Bova said.
Youth development, friendlies, opportunities: A tangible showcase of partnership
This international partnership extends to the North Carolina Football Club level as well, with an exhibition between Monterrey’s men’s team, Rayados, taking on Liga MX rival San Luis at WakeMed Soccer Park next month. Tickets for that match are available now.
Events like Pinto and Bova’s time in Monterrey and the upcoming exhibition demonstrate that the partnership is more than announcements and meetings. Both clubs, as well as their players and youth players in their markets, are seeing the benefits of the growing relationship between the clubs.
“These types of initiatives help bring the partnership to life. You read the announcement about what the relationship entails but I think the more tangible examples that we have reinforce the intent behind the partnership to provide growth opportunities for our players, teams, and club as a whole,” Club President Francie Gottsegen said.
From the players’ perspective, this partnership and the opportunities that come from it are a sign of the growth.
“I think it’s incredible. With women’s soccer growing, it’s great that we’re uniting as clubs… To be able to have that opportunity at all was just incredible,” Bova said.
Both players hope to cross paths with some of their new friends from Rayadas in the future, and maybe even get them in some training sessions at WakeMed Soccer Park.
“Getting a chance to be in a different environment and be pushed and get out of our comfort zone is cool. Courage training is challenging too, so we hope that they could come and train with us sometime,” Pinto said.
Growing in a new environment
Every team has its own unique training environment and experiencing a new team’s environment can be a great growth opportunity for players.
For Bova, it was fun to be a part of another team’s goalkeeper union that is as close as the Courage’s is.
“Every goalkeeper coach teaches things differently and it was fun to learn from a coach who didn’t speak much English, the other goalkeepers translated for me, but it was fun, just to learn like his points of emphasis in goalkeeping and I think hearing a different perspective is only going to make you better,” Bova said.
Jumping in with a team in the middle of its season gave Pinto and Bova a chance to experience the game-week preparations and see how Rayadas prepares for each individual opponent.
“It was interesting to see how their film was set up and listening to how they explain their game plan and then what we do in training to execute for the game that was coming on the weekend,” Pinto said.
