The North Carolina Courage’s 1-1 draw in the team’s first ever meeting with Bay FC wasn’t the prettiest of points, but it was a prime example of this team’s identity, finding a way to get the job done as a team. (Read the recap here).
“I am happy to get a point. I feel like as average as we played, we easily could have lost and then could have easily won on a couple of chances. You can’t be great every day. You’re going to have days like this. They showed a fight and character, but there are areas we have to be better,” NC Courage head coach Sean Nahas said.
Bay FC capitalized on that slow start, pouncing in transition with former Courage player Tess Boade sliding the ball across to Asisat Oshoala for the game-opening goal in the 9’.
The visitors gave a different look against the Courage than they had shown in recent games, pressing high to counter the Courage’s possession play. With the Courage’s methodical style of play, it can take time to learn a new opponent’s tendencies and figure the puzzle pieces.
“Teams have typically done something different against us than they do against other opponents. When you watch them in the last two games, they didn’t high press fully. I thought they did a really good job of doing that against us. Sometimes it is a chess match and especially with the way we play, it is very methodical. We have to break teams down and that takes learning their tendencies to figure out how to break them down,” Kaleigh Kurtz said.
The Courage overcame that slow start and grew into the game. Denise O’Sullivan’s tenacious play set up the Courage’s equalizer, with the midfielder winning the ball back on the edge of the box and sliding Ashley Sanchez in behind to slam home the point-saving goal.
“It was a good point, it could have gone either way. We had a couple of chances to put us ahead but they also had some chances. The way we performed, this was a good result,” Sanchez said.
Second-half substitutions came in and helped the Courage see out the game and bring an added spark off the bench.
“In the second half, I thought Olivia Wingate, Meredith Speck and Brianna Pinto did a good job of raising the level and giving us a bit more of an attacking mindset, a bit more of a dynamic look,” Nahas said.
Not all games have to be picture perfect, but in the home stretch of the playoff race every point matters.
Sometimes you have to just grind it out.
