Kicking Off … NC Courage’s Ashley Sanchez Could Make History on Saturday
The NC Courage (12-9-3, 39 Points) didn’t get the result they wanted in California, falling 2-1 to the San Diego Wave (13-8-3, 42 Points) and falling to 5th place in the table as the Wave shot up to 4th. It’s the kind of late-season loss that tends to have big implications when it comes to playoff position and home field advantage.
That said, the Courage’s lone goal came from — who else? — Ashley Sanchez off of a Shinomi Koyama assist.
The goal brings Sanchez’s total to 19, one shy of tying the single-season scoring record of 20 goals set by Temwa Chawinga in 2024. Should Sanchez score two goals this Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park, she’ll not only set a new single-season scoring record, she’ll also set the record for most braces in a season with 5.
Of course, with 6 matches left in the season, anything could happen. Orlando Pride’s Barbara Banda, who just signed a new High Impact Player (HIP) contract through 2029, is in second behind Sanchez in the NWSL Golden Boot race with 16 on the season.
Sanchez’s teammate Evelyn Ijeh has been a prolific scorer herself with 11 goals, the fourth-most in the league. With 30 goals between the two, they now hold the NWSL record for most goals in a season from a teammate pair. They’ve scored 64% of the team’s 47 goals, helping the Courage reach a goal difference of +12, currently the best in the league and especially important when only 6 points separate 2nd and 8th place in the table.
Sanchez, Ijeh, and their teammates have their work cut out for them this weekend as they host league-leaders and defending champions Gotham FC (14-4-6, 48 Points) at 6:30 PM on Saturday, September 19.
Lineups: What You Need to Know
Above: Soccer Sheet talks with Charlotte FC designated player Pep Biel about the squirrel that invaded the pitch in Cincinnati.
There was a lot of North Carolina soccer this weekend. Carolina Ascent FC played on Friday night in Kentucky. Then, in addition to the Courage, Charlotte FC, Charlotte Independence, Crown Legacy FC, and Carolina Core FC all played Saturday afternoon and evening, with the Legacy and Core playing one another at the Matthews Sportsplex.
Since it was impossible to attend them all, here’s what happened:
Fourth place Charlotte FC (11-7-7, 40 Points) earned a point from a 3-3 draw at FC Cincinnati (8-8-8, 32 Points) on Saturday, September 12. The result was somewhat disappointing as Cincinnati equalized in stoppage time, but the surprise appearance of a squirrel on the pitch — dubbed Squirreling Haaland by Soccer Sheet — raise everyone’s spirits.
While Liel Abada, Pep Biel, and Idan Toklomati scored the goals, and Rodolfo Aloko earned the only assist for Charlotte, Allan Saint-Maximin was the maestro: his ball into the box to Abada would have been an assist except for a touch from a Cincinnati player; he sent the ball to Biel right before Biel earned a penalty; and he made the cross to Aloko for a secondary assist on Toklomati’s goal.
Charlotte travel to Washington, D.C. to face 11th place DC United (6-7-11, 29 Points) at Audi Field on Saturday at 7:30.
After missing two matches in a row due to yellow cards, captain Ashley Westwood will be eligible for selection again this weekend.
On Friday, September 11, Carolina Ascent FC (4-1-0, 12 Points) earned 3 points on the road with a 0-1 win over Lexington SC (1-2-0, 3 Points). Full coverage of the match is available here.
Jenna Butler had the winning goal off of an Emily Morris corner kick in the 88th minute.
The Ascent host eighth place Brooklyn FC (1-4-0, 3 Points) on Saturday, September 19 at 7:00 PM.
However, Brooklyn are coming off a quality 3-2 win over second place Sporting JAX.
With only 9 matches to go in the short season, the Ascent are two home matches away from the halfway mark.
Both the United States and England advanced to the Round of 16 in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Carolina Ascent player B Hylton has featured in all of England’s matches so far. They play Nigeria in the first of the knockout rounds on Thursday, September 17 at 9 AM ET.
The U.S. will face Brazil in the Round of 16 on Wednesday, September 16, at 9 AM ET.
The Ascent aren’t the only Charlotte team leading their league. The first place Charlotte Independence (16-5-4, 52 Points, +23 GD) are now (officially) playoff bound after defeating 14th place Westchester SC (6-14-5, 23 Points) in a spirited 5-4 match on Saturday.
Joey Skinner had a brace, and Christopher Jaime, Christy Manzinga, and Viggo Ortiz all had a goal apiece. Jon Bakero had two assists, while Jaime, Manzinga, and captain Clay Dimick all had one.
Dimick’s assist to Jaime in stoppage time gave Charlotte the decisive goal at 90’+1’.
Charlotte’a Souaibou Marou continues to lead the League One Golden Boot race with 12 goals despite serving a 1 match red card suspension during the Westchester fixture.
With the win, the Jacks clinched a spot in the USL League One playoffs. However, their first place spot is precarious as Union Omaha (16-6-4, 52 Points, +17 GD) have that same number of points and have also qualified for the playoffs.
The Jacks have a busy week ahead. Tomorrow, September 16, they travel to Idaho to face 4th place Athletic Club Boise (13-7-5, 44 Points) at 9 PM ET. Then on September 19, they travel to Virginia to take on 17th place Richmond Kickers (5-14-5, 20 Points) at 6 PM.
Carolina Core FC (5-12-10-5, 30 Points) may be eliminated from the playoffs, but that hasn’t stopped them from besting Crown Legacy FC (14-5-8-5, 55 Points) in all three of the I-85 Derby contests this year. The Foxes came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the match and win the penalty shootout. Read our full writeup here.
The Foxes won the previous two meetings between the teams this year, with a 2 (4) - 2 (2) shootout win in April, and a 2-0 victory in June.
Brian Romero and Magic Smalls scored for Crown Legacy in the first half. Both of Carolina Core’s goals — from Thomas Raimbault and Jay Stewart — came off the bench in the second half.
Jay Stewart got his first professional goal in his first pro appearance.
Despite the result, Crown Legacy remain first in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference and have clinched a playoff appearance. The Foxes remain in 14th place.
Sunday, September 20 is Decision Day in MLS NEXT Pro, and both of North Carolina’s teams are heading to Ohio. Crown Legacy will face Cincinnati 2 and Carolina Core will face Columbus Crew 2. Both matches start at 2:00 PM.
With a +11 advantage in goal differential over second place Chattanooga, Crown Legacy can effectively clinch first place in the Eastern Conference with a win on Decision Day. The Legacy can’t finish below second.
First Half: The Latest Stories from Soccer Sheet
Here are some of our stories from the past week:
Ascent Win Playoff Final Rematch in Lexington; Hylton and England Advance in U-20 World Cup
Earlier this year, Carolina Ascent FC’s second season ended in Lexington after a 3-1 loss in extra time.
Portions for Foxes: Crown Legacy Squander 2-0 Lead as Carolina Core Win Season Series With Shootout Win
Despite steady rain, Crown Legacy FC couldn’t hold on to a two goal cushion as a Carolina Core FC academy call-up’s first professional goal forced a penalty shootout at the Matthews Sportsplex …
Sitting Down with Martina Navratilova, Carolina Ascent Co-Owner
Y’all Weekly’s Soccer Sheet sat down with none other than Carolina Ascent co-owner and tennis legend Martina Navratilova last year for an exclusive interview we haven’t published … until now.
Halftime: Soccer Fact of the Week
With the 3-3 result in Cincinnati, and the 2-2 draw earlier this year, it’s only the third time in club history Charlotte FC has drawn both regular season matches against the same Eastern Conference opponent. The others were Columbus Crew (2022) and New York Red Bulls (2023).
Bonus Facts: With this past weekend’s result, Carolina Core FC have continued to dominate the I-85 Derby, winning the season series against Crown Legacy FC all three years with 4 outright wins, 4 shootout wins, and only one loss. Crown Legacy have never won a penalty shootout against the Foxes in four attempts, and their lone victory came last season on April 26 with a 1-2 win in High Point.
Second Half: Social Media Shares
Some of our most recent content from Instagram:
Postgame: Candid Comments
“It was really funny because I didn’t understand why the fans were [laughing] …I don’t know the rules, but I don’t think we can play with an animal inside the pitch. It was fun. It was funny.” - Pep Biel on the Squirrel in Cincinnati
