Courage set for midweek matchup with Orlando

Pre-game Notebook: North Carolina Courage vs Orlando Pride | May 18, 2022 | NWSL Regular Season

After their weekend meeting with NJ/NY Gotham FC was postponed due to COVID protocols, the North Carolina Courage are set for a midweek showdown with the Orlando Pride.

Currently in fifth place, the Pride have gotten off to a decent start to the season. The Courage are currently in 12th place, but have played just one regular season game due to the Challenge Cup Final and the previously mentioned postponement. 

Tuesday’s pre-match press conference with Meredith Speck and Sean Nahas was very good, probably one of if not the best of the year, so here are some not-so quick hits:

Quick Hits:

Protocols and the postponement 

The Courage’s game at Gotham was postponed just over two hours before it was supposed to kickoff. Just a few days removed from that, the Courage are prepping for their next game.

“It is a minute-by-minute process,” Nahas said. “It's been chaos, to be quite honest, in how the whole thing has been handled. Not on our end. I think it's the one thing we've learned that COVID is not going anywhere and I think the league needs to take notice of that. I think that's important to understand as well.”

While Nahas offered no details on where they are in the COVID protocols, he did say that the game is going on for a reason. With players still out, others will need to step up and Nahas is excited to see what those players can do.

“They've worked hard,” Nahas said. “The vibe and energy has been great. The vibe and energy in Gotham was not great. Just because there was so much uncertainty and we weren't home and we weren't sure who was going to have to get left behind and not left behind. The good thing is no one was left behind. It's been a weird week. But the players have been brilliant in how they've handled it and we'll see how tomorrow goes.”

Keys to the game with a small roster

Outside of individuals stepping up, there are ways for the Courage to make the game easier for themselves with a smaller roster.

“It's gonna be hot, we're gonna have a smaller roster and people who are going to be playing more minutes than they're used to,” Speck said. “So I really think maintaining the ball is going to be [important]. First and foremost, the biggest thing that we're going to try to accomplish is just having as much possession as possible and waiting for opportunities, but still playing fun and exciting soccer that people want to watch.”

Patience and possession will be key for the Courage especially with a high of 87 on Wednesday.

The unsung heroes

During her segment of the presser, Speck honed in on the fact that game day is one day a week and training is five. A lot of the team's success stems from the unsung heroes of those training days, who Speck said raise the standards.

“What's been really incredible and probably what hasn't been talked about is we've lost some exceptional players, but we've brought the group as a whole is at such a higher level than it was last year,” Speck said. “… I just feel like the players that we've brought in that we don't talk about. The Haleigh Stackpoles, the Frankie [Tagliaferris], they're raising the level of training every day. And because of those players, we are having so much more success on game day because five days a week, the starting lineup is being challenged and the level of training is so high. …they're raising the standard and they're rookies and they're doing it for not a lot of glory.”

While the new faces like Kerolin Nicoli and Malia Berkley are grabbing headlines, there are plenty of other rookies and new players making a big impact for the squad. 

Nahas said he probably needs to do a better job of recognizing their impact as well, saying coaches sometimes get caught up in the day-to-day process, but went on to list the vast majority of the roster, from Courage vets like Ryan Williams to newcomers like Jorian Baucom.

“Everyone wants to play and that's why you're in the professional world,” Nahas said. “But I can't put 27 players on the field. The ref won't let me. Well – I'll just keep my thoughts to myself – I just think it's important that people really understand that that's what championship teams are about. It's not about the individual accolades. It's about the team accolade. And when we walked in that locker room and everyone was celebrating, no one knew the starters. If you'd walked in there, you wouldn't have known who the starter was and you wouldn't have known who wasn't the starter, or who wasn't rostered. They were just all celebrating together. 

“And that was the happiest moment for us as a staff to see that. Because when they first walked in the door on February 1, they didn't know who each other were and to see Debinha celebrating with a rookie, they were all in awe of Deb when she first walked in the door. So for us, that's been the thing. The standard of training has always been set by the players that maybe are not being rostered every single day. But they come every single day to work and push, but their time will come. It could come tomorrow. And that's why we always say you have to train, because you never know. So I'm really proud of the group. But like I said, I can do a better job of recognizing players as well and that's something we'll continue to do here as a staff.”

Meredith Speck: The glue piece

It might be the fact that I have heard NC State women’s basketball head coach Wes Moore call Kayla Jones a glue player more times than I can count, but I truly think it is one of the best compliments a coach can pay to a player. And Speck is exactly that for the NC Courage.

“I've said it before, everyone needs a Meredith Speck,” Nahas said. “She's a massive glue piece for us. She's a piece that keeps everything together. She's sort of that lightheartedness, but focused as well. She's a true pro. And I say that because for five years, she never saw the field. But Meri never complained. Meri never lost her way. She never thought about not coming back, ‘I don't approve of my role.’ And I think so often now players they want, they want, they want and I think the word want is a dangerous word. Meri has earned. Meri earned her stripes and I couldn't be any more proud of her.

“I think she's an unbelievable kid. She knows how to push my buttons a little bit, which I respect, but I guess that's just being Long Islanders together. She comes every single day to work. She helps. She's a great voice with the players. She's great with the younger players. She's earned the respect of all these players. And there's gonna be a nice little reward for Meri tomorrow, because I think she's earned it. She's been a massive piece. I thought she was great in every game she stepped into and did her role to a tee. Yeah, I'm really proud of Meri, especially for everything she's gone through to get here and now she's reaping the benefits of that.”

This is far from the first time Nahas has heaped praise toward Speck, and it likely won’t be the last. Speck always makes an impact, even if it goes unnoticed. 

The arrival of Valérie Gauvin

According to Nahas, Valérie Gauvin should be arriving this weekend, “hopefully today.” But the coach quickly added that it doesn’t mean she will be eligible to play “any time soon.”

The Courage have plenty of attacking depth as it is, with Gauvin bringing the Courage up to seven forwards (technically six because Taylor Smith is listed as a defender). While they are currently down a forward, with Kerolin out for a few weeks due to a sprained ankle, she could likely be back by the time Gauvin is ready to go.

Kerolin, Smith and Diana Ordoñez have all gotten off to high-flying starts this year, so it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. 

Last time out:

Courage (0-1-0, 1 pts): Game at Gotham postponed due to COVID protocols (NWSL Regular Season)

The Courage’s last outing was postponed last minute due to COVID protocols. Prior to that, North Carolina took down the Washington Spirit 2-1 in the NWSL Challenge Cup Final.

Pride (1-1-1, 4 pts): 2-2 draw vs KC Current (NWSL Regular Season)

The Pride’s 2-2 draw with the winless KC Current (0-1-2, 1 pts) saw four second-half goals, including two in stoppage time. Gunny Jónsdóttir and Toni Pressley got the goals for Orlando, with Pressley’s 90’ +6’ penalty giving the Pride a share of the points.

 Availability report:

Courage:

Out: Kiki Pickett (right knee), Kerolin Nicoli (left lower leg), Emily Gray (left knee), Merritt Mathias (illness), Abby Erceg (COVID protocol), Tess Boade (COVID protocol), Katie Bowen (COVID protocol), Katelyn Rowland (COVID protocol), Denise O’Sullivan (COVID protocol).

Questionable: Casey Murphy (right knee)

Pride:

Out: Caitlin Cosme (D45), Marta (SEI)

Questionable: Parker Roberts (right ankle), Meggie Dougherty Howard (right hip), Amy Turner (right ankle), Angharad James (right ankle), Vivianna Villacorta (right quad).

Match Info:

Date: Wednesday, May 18

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary, North Carolina)

Broadcast: Paramount+ / Twitch (International) / WRALSports+ (Local)