Cary, NC (August 14, 2019)- The NC Courage look to defeat Man City Women on Thursday, August 15 at Sahlen’s Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET to advance to the Women’s International Champions Cup Championship for the second-consecutive year. The game is the back end of a doubleheader evening which kicks off with Atlético de Madrid taking on Lyon at 5:00 p.m.

“We are really excited to be a part of this tournament,” said NC Courage head coach Paul Riley. “It is a huge event and after last year the team has talked about the tournament every day since. The fact that it is here in Cary is fantastic for us.”

The Courage enter the tournament as the defending champions after defeating Lyon in the Women’s ICC Championship in 2018. Heather O’Reilly scored the only goal in the team’s 1-0 win. The first-ever Women’s ICC was held in Miami, Florida.

This year the NC Courage take on Man City Women, the 2018 Women’s ICC third-place winners, but a team that the Courage did not cross paths with in last year’s tournament. Man City is currently in the preseason for the 2019-2020 season and hope to repeat as the FA Cup and WSL Cup winners. They have brought a 19-player roster to Cary highlighting players such as Janine Beckie and Steph Houghton.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Riley spoke about the upcoming match against Man City. “For us, it’s about preparing for a different type of team and a different type of game,” said Riley. “We will put the best lineup out to be successful tomorrow.”

The North Carolina Courage currently sit in third place in the NWSL but only two points out of first place. Forward, Lynn Williams leads the league in assists, while her teammate Kristen Hamilton is in second place in the NWSL in goals scored with eight so far in 2019.

Up Next: The third-place and championship match of the Women’s International Champions Cup will take place on Sunday, August 18 at Sahlen’s Stadium. The third-place game will kick off at 5:00 p.m. followed by the championship at 7:30 p.m. The championship will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Players to Watch:
North Carolina Courage- #6 Abby Erceg
The North Carolina Courage captain is an important member of a defensive line. Erceg has started 12 games for 1080 minutes. She has scored one goal this season on a header against Reign FC on May 27.

Manchester City Women- #11 Janine Beckie
Beckie is a Canadian international that has previous experience in the NWSL with the Houston Dash and Sky Blue FC. The forward who won a bronze medal with Canada in the 2016 Olympics joined Man City in August of 2018.