North Carolina Courage 2–2 Portland Thorns FC, NWSL Matchday 4

North Carolina Courage v Portland Thorns FC

North Carolina Courage11th 5 pts

M. Matsukubo 28′
A. Sanchez 37′

2

2–2

Full time

Sat 4 Apr

Expected goals: North Carolina Courage 1.26, Portland Thorns FC 1.26

Portland Thorns FC2nd 10 pts

R. Turner 12′
O. Moultrie 33′

2

Sat 4 Apr, 6:30 pm EDT First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park NWSL 2026, Matchday 4

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

12′Goal R. Turner (Portland Thorns FC)0–1
28′Goal M. Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage)1–1
33′Goal O. Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC)1–2
37′Goal A. Sanchez (North Carolina Courage)2–2

Top performers

North Carolina Courage

A. SanchezMNCshirt 21G4SH
M. MatsukuboFNCshirt 341G2SH
P. LinnehanNCshirt 15, came off the bench0G2SH

Portland Thorns

O. MoultrieMPORshirt 131G5SH
R. TurnerMPORshirt 661G2SH
S. WilsonFPORshirt 90G4SH

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

What it means

North Carolina Courage

11th▲1 from 12th

Outside the playoff places, 1 point behind Bay FC in the last playoff place, with 26 to play.

Portland Thorns FC

2nd▲3 from 5th

In the playoff places, 4 points above Kansas City Current, with 25 to play.

Season series

Matchday 4 Sat 4 Apr

North Carolina Courage2

Portland Thorns FC2

Matchday 26 Fri 23 Oct

Portland Thorns FC1

North Carolina Courage0

Portland Thorns FC won one, one drawn; 3–2 on aggregate to Portland Thorns FC.

Team stats

NC POR

Expected goals: North Carolina Courage: 1.26; Portland Thorns FC: 1.26
Possession: North Carolina Courage: 59%; Portland Thorns FC: 41%
Shots: North Carolina Courage: 12; Portland Thorns FC: 16
Corners: North Carolina Courage: 7; Portland Thorns FC: 4

NWSL table 2026

Standings →

NWSL table
#	Club	P	GD	Pts
1	San Diego Wave FC	5	+5	12
2	Portland Thorns FC	5	+3	10
3	Angel City FC	4	+6	9
4	Houston Dash	4	+4	9
5	Seattle Reign FC	4	+3	9
6	Orlando Pride	5	+3	8
7	Utah Royals FC	5	0	7
8	Bay FC	3	+1	6
⋯
11	North Carolina Courage	4	−1	5

After this result

By the numbers

North Carolina Courage have 6 points from last 5, in step with their season. 1.2 a match, against 1.5 all season. NWSL average 1.4.

Portland Thorns FC are 2 matches from their longest unbeaten run this season. Current run 3. Longest 5. Next at Washington Spirit, 8 November.

Portland Thorns FC have 8 home wins from 15 at home, and 6 from 15 away. 1.9 points a match at home, 1.4 away.

North Carolina Courage have scored 52 goals, the 4th most in the NWSL. 1.7 a match. NWSL average 1.4.

The match on the pitch

North Carolina Courage: 59% possession; 93 possessions; 12% ended in a shot; 28% reached the box; 6.3 actions each
Portland Thorns FC: 41% possession; 93 possessions; 14% ended in a shot; 27% reached the box; 4.6 actions each

Where each team won the ball

North Carolina Courage

Portland Thorns FC

Where each possession began, both teams attacking right. North Carolina Courage started 14% of their possessions in the final third, Portland Thorns FC 12%.

Where the shots came from

North Carolina CouragePortland Thorns FC

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

How each team moved the ball

North Carolina Courage

Portland Thorns 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 CouragePortland Thorns FC

Share of possessions by number of actions.

Longer possessions shot more

North Carolina CouragePortland Thorns 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 CouragePortland Thorns 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. 1,591 events in the record.

Period Minute 94 Only the 5 minutes up to it

North Carolina Courage attack right, Portland Thorns 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.

72 events shown.

Events shown, in recorded order
Time	Player	Team
2:51	K. Sheridan	North Carolina Courage
4:48	S. Wilson	Portland Thorns FC
8:03	R. Turner	Portland Thorns FC
8:06	K. Sheridan	North Carolina Courage
8:34	M. Matsukubo	North Carolina Courage
8:42	P. Tordin	Portland Thorns FC
9:32	O. Moultrie	Portland Thorns FC
11:02	R. Turner	Portland Thorns FC
14:23	P. Tordin	Portland Thorns FC
17:16	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
17:16	M. Arnold	Portland Thorns FC
19:31	R. Turner	Portland Thorns FC
19:32	R. Turner	Portland Thorns FC
20:47	J. Fleming	Portland Thorns FC
21:12	M. Arnold	Portland Thorns FC
21:53	O. Moultrie	Portland Thorns FC
27:34	M. Matsukubo	North Carolina Courage
31:27	C. Wickenheiser	North Carolina Courage
32:26	O. Moultrie	Portland Thorns FC
32:27	O. Moultrie	Portland Thorns FC

Page 1 of 4

Lineups

North Carolina CourageFormation 3-4-2-1

North Carolina Courage, 3-4-2-1, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 1 K. Sheridan. Line 1: 18 U. Shiragaki, 25 M. Bell, 17 D. Weatherholt. Line 2: 13 R. Williams, 16 R. Jackson, 14 C. Wickenheiser, 2 A. Sanchez. Line 3: 20 S. Koyama, 34 M. Matsukubo. Line 4: 33 H. Betfort.

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	0.00
2	A. Sanchez	90	1	0	0.39
17	D. Weatherholt, off at 80′	80	0	0	0.05
25	M. Bell	90	0	0	0.00
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0	0	0.00
16	R. Jackson	90	0	0	0.00
14	C. Wickenheiser, off at 69′	69	0	1	0.00
33	H. Betfort, off at 80′	80	0	0	0.06
20	S. Koyama, off at 80′	80	0	0	0.24
34	M. Matsukubo	90	1	0	0.11
Substitutes
10	E. Ijeh, on at 80′	10	0	0	0.00
12	N. Staude, on at 80′	10	0	0	0.00
15	P. Linnehan, on at 69′	21	0	0	0.26
35	A. Schlegel, on at 80′	10	0	0	0.16
Team			2	2	1.26

Unused: M. White, S. Schmidt, C. Brooks, L. Thompson, 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	0.00	0	0	2	80%	1	0
2	A. Sanchez	90	1	0	0.39	4	3	2	68%	1	1
17	D. Weatherholt, off at 80′	80	0	0	0.05	1	1	0	93%	2	0
25	M. Bell	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	92%	1	2
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	84%	1	2
16	R. Jackson	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	2	77%	1	0
14	C. Wickenheiser, off at 69′	69	0	1	0.00	0	0	1	87%	3	1
33	H. Betfort, off at 80′	80	0	0	0.06	1	0	0	79%	0	0
20	S. Koyama, off at 80′	80	0	0	0.24	1	1	0	76%	1	0
34	M. Matsukubo	90	1	0	0.11	2	2	2	89%	0	2
Substitutes
99	M. White	–
3	S. Schmidt	–
5	C. Brooks	–
7	L. Thompson	–
10	E. Ijeh, on at 80′	10	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	100%	0	0
12	N. Staude, on at 80′	10	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	88%	0	0
15	P. Linnehan, on at 69′	21	0	0	0.26	2	0	0	50%	0	0
22	C. Vine	–
35	A. Schlegel, on at 80′	10	0	0	0.16	1	0	0	63%	0	0
Team			2	2	1.26	12	7	11	83%	11	8

North Carolina Courage goalkeeper
#	Goalkeeper	Min	Saves	SOT faced	Save %	GA	Claims
1	K. Sheridan	90	4	6	67%	2	1

Portland Thorns FCFormation 4-2-3-1

Portland Thorns FC, 4-2-3-1, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 18 M. Arnold. Line 1: 2 R. Reyes, 16 S. Hiatt, 24 J. Perry, 25 M. Vignola. Line 2: 21 J. Fleming, 6 C. Bogere. Line 3: 66 R. Turner, 13 O. Moultrie, 19 P. Tordin. Line 4: 9 S. Wilson.

Portland Thorns FC 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
18	M. Arnold	90	0	0	0.00
2	R. Reyes	90	0	0	0.00
25	M. Vignola, off at 46′	45	0	0	0.00
6	C. Bogere, off at 69′	69	0	0	0.00
16	S. Hiatt	90	0	0	0.04
24	J. Perry	90	0	1	0.00
66	R. Turner, off at 25′	25	1	0	0.08
21	J. Fleming	90	0	0	0.03
9	S. Wilson	90	0	0	0.25
13	O. Moultrie	90	1	0	0.73
19	P. Tordin, off at 69′	69	0	0	0.06
Substitutes
23	M. Müller, on at 46′	45	0	0	0.00
11	M. Padelski, on at 69′	21	0	0	0.06
10	D. Castellanos, on at 69′	21	0	0	0.07
26	M. Alidou, on at 25′	65	0	0	0.00
Team			2	1	1.33

Unused: M. Messner, I. Obaze, M. McKenzie, S. Harvey, V. Loboa

All player stats

Portland Thorns 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
2	R. Reyes	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	2	78%	3	2
25	M. Vignola, off at 46′	45	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	72%	0	1
6	C. Bogere, off at 69′	69	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	80%	0	0
16	S. Hiatt	90	0	0	0.04	1	0	0	89%	1	0
24	J. Perry	90	0	1	0.00	0	0	2	72%	0	0
66	R. Turner, off at 25′	25	1	0	0.08	2	1	0	50%	1	0
21	J. Fleming	90	0	0	0.03	1	1	0	80%	2	1
9	S. Wilson	90	0	0	0.25	4	1	2	73%	0	0
13	O. Moultrie	90	1	0	0.73	5	3	2	68%	1	1
19	P. Tordin, off at 69′	69	0	0	0.06	1	0	0	46%	1	2
Substitutes
35	M. Messner	–
5	I. Obaze	–
29	M. McKenzie	–
23	M. Müller, on at 46′	45	0	0	0.00	0	0	3	74%	1	0
15	S. Harvey	–
11	M. Padelski, on at 69′	21	0	0	0.06	1	0	0	67%	0	0
10	D. Castellanos, on at 69′	21	0	0	0.07	1	0	0	100%	0	0
26	M. Alidou, on at 25′	65	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	64%	0	0
88	V. Loboa	–
Team			2	1	1.33	16	6	11	75%	10	7