North Carolina Courage 1–3 Bay FC, NWSL Matchday 3

North Carolina Courage v Bay FC

North Carolina Courage10th 4 pts

M. Matsukubo 65′

1

1–3

Full time

Sat 28 Mar

Expected goals: North Carolina Courage 1.52, Bay FC 1.01

Bay FC6th 6 pts

A. Pfeiffer 20′
K. Barry 30′
D. Bailey 34′

3

Sat 28 Mar, 7:00 pm EDT First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park NWSL 2026, Matchday 3

The match story

Ashley Sanchez portrait — Courtesy North Carolina Courage

NWSL News

Ashley Sanchez returns as a scorer, and a link for others

Sanchez’s Courage season has brought more frequent shooting. Her return against Spain also showed the value of moving the ball on.

17 October 2026

Key moments

20′Goal A. Pfeiffer (Bay FC)0–1
30′Goal K. Barry (Bay FC)0–2
34′Goal D. Bailey (Bay FC)0–3
65′Goal M. Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage)1–3

Top performers

North Carolina Courage

M. MatsukuboNCshirt 34, came off the bench1G6SH
A. SanchezFNCshirt 20G1SH
A. SchlegelNCshirt 35, came off the bench0G1SH

Bay FC

A. PfeifferMBAYshirt 171G2SH
K. BarryMBAYshirt 271G2SH
D. BaileyMBAYshirt 191G1SH

Three per club, chosen from the match record: goals, then shots.

What it means

North Carolina Courage

10th▼2 from 8th

Outside the playoff places, level on points with Orlando Pride in the last playoff place, with 27 to play.

Bay FC

6th▲5 from 11th

In the playoff places, 2 points above Utah Royals FC, with 27 to play.

Season series

Matchday 3 Sat 28 Mar

North Carolina Courage1

Bay FC3

Matchday 13 Sat 18 Jul

Bay FC3

North Carolina Courage0

Bay FC took both meetings, 6–1 on aggregate.

Team stats

NC BAY

Expected goals: North Carolina Courage: 1.52; Bay FC: 1.01
Possession: North Carolina Courage: 51%; Bay FC: 49%
Shots: North Carolina Courage: 13; Bay FC: 12
Corners: North Carolina Courage: 4; Bay FC: 4

NWSL table 2026

Standings →

NWSL table
#	Club	P	GD	Pts
1	Angel City FC	3	+7	9
2	Seattle Reign FC	4	+3	9
3	Portland Thorns FC	4	+3	9
4	Houston Dash	3	+3	6
5	San Diego Wave FC	3	+2	6
6	Bay FC	3	+1	6
7	Denver Summit FC	4	+1	5
8	Orlando Pride	3	+2	4
⋯
10	North Carolina Courage	3	−1	4

After this result

By the numbers

Bay FC have 1 points from last 5 and are out of form. 0.2 a match, against 0.9 all season. NWSL average 1.4.

Bay FC have gone 5 without a win. Last win: 2–0 v Racing Louisville FC, 20 September.

The match on the pitch

North Carolina Courage: 51% possession; 106 possessions; 11% ended in a shot; 27% reached the box; 5.1 actions each
Bay FC: 49% possession; 109 possessions; 9% ended in a shot; 17% reached the box; 4.7 actions each

Where each team won the ball

North Carolina Courage

Bay FC

Where each possession began, both teams attacking right. North Carolina Courage started 11% of their possessions in the final third, Bay FC 12%.

Where the shots came from

North Carolina CourageBay FC

North Carolina Courage attack right, Bay FC left. A larger ringed dot is a goal. Own goals are not shots.

How each team moved the ball

North Carolina Courage

Bay FC

Passes between 20 zones, both teams attacking right. Forward moves in the team colour, backward moves dark, sideways moves pale; line weight is the share of the team’s passes.

How long possessions ran

North Carolina CourageBay FC

Share of possessions by number of actions.

Longer possessions shot more

North Carolina CourageBay FC

Of the possessions with each number of actions, the share that produced a shot. A gap marks too few possessions to rate.

Where play slowed down

North Carolina CourageBay FC

Mean seconds between one action and the next in the same possession, by where the action happened.

Every recorded action

Observed match events

Every action recorded in this match, where it happened: what was seen on the pitch, not a simulated path. 1,769 events in the record.

Period Minute 95 Only the 5 minutes up to it

North Carolina Courage attack right, Bay FC left. Passes are arrows to where they ended, dashed when not completed; a ringed start is a restart. A dot is a shot, a larger ringed dot a goal; a diamond is a take-on, a square a keeper action. Showing the whole match.

Choose an action on the pitch or in the list to see everything recorded about it.

73 events shown.

Events shown, in recorded order
Time	Player	Team
1:01	K. Barry	Bay FC
2:55	R. Jackson	North Carolina Courage
4:03	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
5:01	J. Silkowitz	Bay FC
9:26	J. Silkowitz	Bay FC
11:20	K. Barry	Bay FC
14:22	K. Sheridan	North Carolina Courage
15:22	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
17:03	C. Wickenheiser	North Carolina Courage
17:09	E. Ijeh	North Carolina Courage
17:15	S. Schmidt	North Carolina Courage
18:45	S. Koyama	North Carolina Courage
19:03	A. Pfeiffer	Bay FC
20:49	R. Williams	North Carolina Courage
22:40	J. Silkowitz	Bay FC
27:51	R. Williams	North Carolina Courage
27:57	C. Wickenheiser	North Carolina Courage
28:20	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
29:14	K. Barry	Bay FC
29:39	K. Barry	Bay FC

Page 1 of 4

Lineups

North Carolina CourageFormation 3-4-3

North Carolina Courage, 3-4-3, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 1 K. Sheridan. Line 1: 18 U. Shiragaki, 12 N. Staude, 25 M. Bell. Line 2: 13 R. Williams, 16 R. Jackson, 14 C. Wickenheiser, 3 S. Schmidt. Line 3: 20 S. Koyama, 10 E. Ijeh, 2 A. Sanchez.

North Carolina Courage lineup: 11 starters, then 4 substitutes who came on, then the team, with minutes, goals, assists and expected goals for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG
1	K. Sheridan	90	0	0	0.00
13	R. Williams	90	0	1	0.07
3	S. Schmidt, off at 41′	41	0	0	0.05
25	M. Bell	90	0	0	0.21
12	N. Staude	90	0	0	0.00
18	U. Shiragaki, off at 89′	89	0	0	0.00
16	R. Jackson	90	0	0	0.00
14	C. Wickenheiser, off at 56′	56	0	0	0.00
10	E. Ijeh, off at 56′	56	0	0	0.32
20	S. Koyama	90	0	0	0.00
2	A. Sanchez	90	0	0	0.03
Substitutes
11	F. Rauch, on at 89′	1	0	0	0.00
33	H. Betfort, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.05
34	M. Matsukubo, on at 41′	49	1	0	0.69
35	A. Schlegel, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.09
Team			1	1	1.52

Unused: M. White, C. Brooks, L. Thompson, D. Weatherholt, C. Vine

All player stats

North Carolina Courage lineup: 10 outfield starters, then 9 substitutes, then the team, with every figure for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG	Sh	SOT	CC	Pass %	Tkl	Int
13	R. Williams	90	0	1	0.07	1	0	3	88%	1	4
3	S. Schmidt, off at 41′	41	0	0	0.05	1	0	0	69%	0	1
25	M. Bell	90	0	0	0.21	1	0	1	94%	3	0
12	N. Staude	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	3	84%	1	1
18	U. Shiragaki, off at 89′	89	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	89%	0	0
16	R. Jackson	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	74%	2	1
14	C. Wickenheiser, off at 56′	56	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	82%	0	1
10	E. Ijeh, off at 56′	56	0	0	0.32	1	0	0	83%	0	0
20	S. Koyama	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	67%	1	0
2	A. Sanchez	90	0	0	0.03	1	0	1	54%	2	3
Substitutes
99	M. White	–
5	C. Brooks	–
7	L. Thompson	–
11	F. Rauch, on at 89′	1	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	33%	1	0
17	D. Weatherholt	–
22	C. Vine	–
33	H. Betfort, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.05	1	1	0	100%	0	0
34	M. Matsukubo, on at 41′	49	1	0	0.69	6	1	0	80%	0	2
35	A. Schlegel, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.09	1	0	0	56%	1	1
Team			1	1	1.52	13	2	9	79%	12	14

North Carolina Courage goalkeeper
#	Goalkeeper	Min	Saves	SOT faced	Save %	GA	Claims
1	K. Sheridan	90	3	6	50%	3	0

Bay FCFormation 4-2-3-1

Bay FC, 4-2-3-1, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 29 J. Silkowitz. Line 1: 16 S. Collins, 21 A. Cometti, 18 J. Anderson, 25 A. Denton. Line 2: 8 C. Hutton, 41 H. Bebar. Line 3: 17 A. Pfeiffer, 19 D. Bailey, 27 K. Barry. Line 4: 10 C. Girelli.

Bay FC lineup: 11 starters, then 5 substitutes who came on, then the team, with minutes, goals, assists and expected goals for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG
29	J. Silkowitz	90	0	0	0.00
16	S. Collins	90	0	1	0.40
25	A. Denton, off at 79′	79	0	0	0.00
41	H. Bebar	90	0	0	0.00
21	A. Cometti	90	0	0	0.00
18	J. Anderson, off at 10′	10	0	0	0.00
17	A. Pfeiffer, off at 56′	56	1	1	0.10
8	C. Hutton	90	0	0	0.00
10	C. Girelli	90	0	1	0.09
19	D. Bailey, off at 79′	79	1	0	0.06
27	K. Barry, off at 56′	56	1	0	0.13
Substitutes
12	T. Boade, on at 79′	11	0	0	0.00
24	M. Moreau, on at 79′	11	0	0	0.00
6	O. Gamero, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.00
22	B. Courtnall, on at 10′	80	0	0	0.00
5	K. Lema, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.37
Team			3	3	1.14

Unused: C. Conti, J. Shepherd, K. Hubly, E. Allen

All player stats

Bay FC lineup: 10 outfield starters, then 9 substitutes, then the team, with every figure for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG	Sh	SOT	CC	Pass %	Tkl	Int
16	S. Collins	90	0	1	0.40	2	1	1	76%	3	1
25	A. Denton, off at 79′	79	0	0	0.00	0	0	2	91%	3	3
41	H. Bebar	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	81%	2	2
21	A. Cometti	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	87%	1	0
18	J. Anderson, off at 10′	10	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	100%	0	0
17	A. Pfeiffer, off at 56′	56	1	1	0.10	2	2	1	69%	0	1
8	C. Hutton	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	84%	0	3
10	C. Girelli	90	0	1	0.09	2	0	1	83%	1	2
19	D. Bailey, off at 79′	79	1	0	0.06	1	1	1	89%	0	3
27	K. Barry, off at 56′	56	1	0	0.13	2	1	1	46%	2	0
Substitutes
12	T. Boade, on at 79′	11	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	67%	0	0
24	M. Moreau, on at 79′	11	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	89%	0	1
23	C. Conti	–
6	O. Gamero, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	50%	0	1
22	B. Courtnall, on at 10′	80	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	78%	1	4
14	J. Shepherd	–
11	K. Hubly	–
5	K. Lema, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.37	3	1	0	77%	0	0
32	E. Allen	–
Team			3	3	1.14	12	6	9	79%	13	21