Courage Till I Die Cast

Courage Country, we’re back with a playoff race still hanging in the balance! The Courage fell 0-1 to Portland, but with Seattle and Utah playing to a 0-0 draw earlier that night, playoff hopes are still alive heading into Decision Day against Denver. They’ll need a result and some help. Ally Schlegel also made her return as a substitute in the 76th minute after being activated from the 45-day injury list. Korey and Jake also cover the league and NWSLPA resolving six grievances, including changes to the high-impact player rule, and the news that the US will host the first Women’s Club World Cup. A fun show as always, check it out!

Courage Corner Links:

- Bill Nottingham, In The Midst Of A Slump: https://splat.cc/posts/the-slump/

- Colin Cerniglia (Charlotte Footy), Courage Fall 1-0 At Portland, Leaving Playoff Hopes In Doubt: https://charlottefooty.substack.com/p/nc-courage-fall-1-0-at-portland-leaving

- NC Courage, A Stage For The Next Generation: https://www.nccourage.com/news/a-stage-for-the-next-generation

- NC Courage, Roary Reads Encourages Young Fans To Keep Turning The Page: https://www.nccourage.com/news/roary-reads-encourages-young-fans-to-keep-turning-the-page

- Video, Jess McDonald Interviews Ashley Sanchez On ION: https://youtu.be/bsTqqQrdZdI?si=zC0dTARS1JxB2tpt

- Video, Get To Know Ella Hase: https://youtu.be/--fU2FPuevw?si=cZsbj3pY2LzdrO0I

The brothers are back after a tough one at home. The Courage fell 2-1 to San Diego in front of 10,353 fans, the club's record fourth sellout of the season. That crowd pushed 2025's total season attendance past 107,990 to a new club record of 114,112 and ranks as the third-largest in club history. Ella Hase also made her Courage debut in the 71st minute. Korey and Jake also cover Kailen Sheridan's spot in the NWSL skills competition, the new Crate & Barrel players lounge, how injuries could shape the 2027 NWSL season, and the road trip to Portland. Plus, we expand on our conversation last week on regression to the mean and what it could mean for the Courage, not only for the playoff push this season but for next season as well. A fun show as always, check it out!

Courage Corner Links:

Video, WRAL interview with Ashley Sanchez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifUv2v1L21o&t=5s

Written, Brian Murphy (WRAL) on Ashley Sanchez: https://www.wral.com/sports/north-carolina-courage-ashley-sanchez-nwsl-goal-record-uswnt-callup-san-diego-wave-october-2026/

Charlotte/Courage Footy, Playoff Spot Is In Reach: https://charlottefooty.substack.com/p/courage-footy-playoff-spot-is-in

Pardeep Cattry (CBS Sports), Ashley Sanchez Makes Her Case: https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/ashley-sanchez-makes-her-case-uswnt/

Taylor Vincent (Spotrac), 2026 NWSL 22 Under 22: https://www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/3526/2026-nwsl-22-under-22-what-if

Back from the international break with a win to talk about, and a bittersweet goodbye. We say farewell to Olivia Wingate, a favorite of ours since day one of this podcast, as she heads to Gotham FC. We'll miss you, Liv, and wish you all the success in the world (except, you know, when you're playing against the Courage). On the field, the Courage topped Seattle 1-0 on Gianna Paul's first professional goal, with Kailen Sheridan notching her 50th career clean sheet and Natalie Jacobs returning for the first time since August 16. Korey and Jake also cover Ashley Sanchez's September Player of the Month honor and her first international goal since 2022 in the USWNT's draw with Spain, Evelyn Ijeh's Sports Illustrated August player of the month nod, the signing of Ella Hase, and where the playoff race stands. A fun show as always, check it out!

Courage Corner Links:

Courage Footy - Three early deficits, one point back, Seattle up next: https://charlottefooty.substack.com/p/courage-footy-three-early-deficits

Courage Footy - Everything the Courage Said After Defeating Seattle 1-0 on Friday: https://charlottefooty.substack.com/p/everything-the-courage-said-after

Bill Nottingham - Life in the fine margins: https://splat.cc/posts/fine-margins/

Bill Nottingham - Ella Hase comes (back) to North Carolina: https://splat.cc/posts/ella-hase/

Sandra Herrera - How Ashley Sanchez found the joy in soccer again, thrived in a new position and got back into USWNT picture: https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/ashley-sanchez-uswnt-return-camp-nwsl-nc-courage-2026/

Abigail Segel - ‘A lot of people counted me out’: Ashley Sanchez on goal records, grit and potential USWNT return: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/25/ashley-sanchez-interview-nwsl-record-uswnt-callup

We're back with a roster of call-ups to brag about! Even with the Courage dropping below the playoff line after a 2-1 loss to Utah, Ashley Sanchez tied the NWSL single-season goalscoring record with her 20th goal, a 37th-minute penalty drawn by Gianna Paul — her 27th career goal for the Courage and 24th goal contribution of the season, second-most ever in a single NWSL campaign. Korey and Jake also cover a wave of national team call-ups, with Vilde Bøe Risa, Erica Meg Parkinson, Evelyn Ijeh, Sanchez, and Riley Jackson all getting the nod, plus Riley's return from injury and a look ahead to a tough road trip to Seattle. A fun show as always, check it out!

We're back — sorry for missing last week! That means we're a bit late catching up on the 2-1 loss to the Wave, but we tip our cap to it before diving into a bunch of news and this past Saturday's matchup against NY/NJ Gotham, which the Courage also dropped 2-1. Natalia Staude scored her first NWSL goal, Shinny hit her 50th career appearance, and Ryan Williams passed Kaleigh Kurtz for 2nd all-time in club appearances. We also cover Gianna Paul's arrival from Kansas City, the latest on the stadium timeline, and a string of October international call-ups. A fun show as always, check it out!

The brothers are back with a big one this week! The Courage routed Chicago 6-0, with Ashley Sanchez's first career hat trick setting new NWSL single-season records for an American player (16 goals) and for a teammate duo, with Evelyn Ijeh, at 27 (they closed the night at 29). Sanchez finished the match with 18 goals on the season (so far) and was named NWSL Player of the Month for August. Korey and Jake also cover Mak Lind's Coach of the Month honor, Sanchez and Ijeh both landing on the August Best XI, new signing Bia Gomes' NWSL debut, and Chioma Okafor's first professional goal. Note: this episode was recorded before Maycee Bell was placed on the Season-Ending Injury list, so that news isn't covered here (but it'll be next week). A fun show as always, check it out!

A statement-making week for Ashley Sanchez. Korey and Jake cover a 2-0 win over Angel City in which Sanchez scored her 14th and 15th goals, breaking the Courage single-season scoring record and tying the NWSL record for an American player — then a 3-2 loss to Kansas City where Ryan Williams crossed 10,000 career minutes, all with the Courage, becoming just the third player in club history to do it. Evelyn Ijeh's goal in that match pushed her and Sanchez to 26 combined goals, tying the NWSL record for a teammate duo. Also on deck: Kailen Sheridan's rare goalkeeper assist, Maycee Bell's 50th appearance, growing USWNT call-up buzz for Sanchez, and a look ahead to Chicago. A fun show as always, check it out!

What's up, Courage Country! Another exciting game for the new Cardiac Cats as the Courage found a way late — beating Boston 2-1 on a goal that came at 106:50, the latest in NWSL regular season history, capped by a lengthy VAR review on the game-tying goal that preceded it. Ashley Sanchez's brace pushed her to a league-leading 13 goals and within one of the Courage's single-season scoring record, while she and Evelyn Ijeh keep closing in on the NWSL record for combined teammate goals in a season. Korey and Jake also cover Feli Rauch's 50th career appearance (with an assist to match), Riley Jackson's new role as Special Olympics North Carolina's first Community Ambassador, and a look ahead to a quick two-game stretch against Angel City and Kansas City. A fun show as always, check it out!

A gutting one this week — the Courage fell to Houston 3-2 on a stoppage-time goal, even with plenty to celebrate individually. Ashley Sanchez crossed 10,000 career NWSL regular season minutes on the way to it, and she and Evelyn Ijeh became just the third pair of teammates in NWSL history to both hit double digits in goals in the same season — can you name the other duos to acheive this milestone? Korey and Jake also cover Ally Schlegel's first career goal-and-assist match, Ryan Williams tying Kaleigh Kurtz for 2nd most appearances in club history, and a look ahead to Nickelodeon Night against Boston. A fun show as always, check it out!

Three games, eight days, and one wild comeback-within-a-comeback story. Korey and Jake are back to break down back-to-back midweek wins — a clean 2-0 shutout over Denver, then a rollercoaster 4-3 win over Washington after the Courage raced out to a 3-0 lead, watched it evaporate, and battled back anyway. Plus: Evelyn Ijeh's Best XI nod (and birthday!), Ashley Sanchez's fastest goal of the season, Bill Nottingham and Nick Schnittker's deep-dive stats, league news on Victory+ losing its NWSL rights, and a look ahead to Black Excellence Night against Houston. A fun show as always, check it out!