North Carolina Courage 4–0 Chicago Stars FC, NWSL Matchday 8

North Carolina Courage v Chicago Stars FC

North Carolina Courage7th 12 pts

E. Ijeh 47′
A. Sanchez 61′
A. Schlegel 65′
M. Matsukubo 86′

4

4–0

Full time

Sat 16 May

Expected goals: North Carolina Courage 2.38, Chicago Stars FC 0.89

Chicago Stars FC16th 6 pts

0

Sat 16 May, 6:30 pm EDT First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park NWSL 2026, Matchday 8

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

47′Goal E. Ijeh (North Carolina Courage)1–0
61′Goal A. Sanchez (North Carolina Courage)2–0
65′Goal A. Schlegel (North Carolina Courage)3–0
86′Goal M. Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage)4–0

Top performers

North Carolina Courage

M. MatsukuboMNCshirt 341G6SH
A. SanchezFNCshirt 21G4SH
E. IjehFNCshirt 101G3SH

Chicago Stars

J. HuitemaFCHIshirt 990G2SH
M. JohnsonCHIshirt 23, came off the bench0G2SH
A. FarmerMCHIshirt 250G1SH

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

What it means

North Carolina Courage

7th▲6 from 13th

In the playoff places, 1 point above Bay FC, with 21 to play.

Chicago Stars FC

16thNo change

Outside the playoff places, 5 points behind Orlando Pride in the last playoff place, with 20 to play.

Season series

Matchday 8 Sat 16 May

North Carolina Courage4

Chicago Stars FC0

Matchday 20 Sun 6 Sep

Chicago Stars FC0

North Carolina Courage6

North Carolina Courage took both meetings, 10–0 on aggregate.

Team stats

NC CHI

Expected goals: North Carolina Courage: 2.38; Chicago Stars FC: 0.89
Possession: North Carolina Courage: 52%; Chicago Stars FC: 48%
Shots: North Carolina Courage: 18; Chicago Stars FC: 13
Corners: North Carolina Courage: 7; Chicago Stars FC: 4

NWSL table 2026

Standings →

NWSL table
#	Club	P	GD	Pts
1	San Diego Wave FC	10	+5	21
2	Portland Thorns FC	9	+6	19
3	Washington Spirit	10	+8	18
4	Gotham FC	10	+6	18
5	Utah Royals FC	9	+6	17
6	Kansas City Current	9	−1	15
7	North Carolina Courage	9	+2	12
8	Orlando Pride	9	0	11
⋯
16	Chicago Stars FC	10	−18	6

After this result

By the numbers

Chicago Stars FC have gone 9 without a win. Last win: 3–2 v Racing Louisville FC, 23 August.

Chicago Stars FC have 71 goals conceded, the 16th fewest in the NWSL. 2.4 a match. NWSL average 1.4.

Chicago Stars FC have 0 points from last 5 and are out of form. 0.0 a match, against 0.6 all season. NWSL average 1.4.

Chicago Stars FC have scored 17 goals, the 16th most in the NWSL. 0.6 a match. NWSL average 1.4.

The match on the pitch

North Carolina Courage: 52% possession; 101 possessions; 16% ended in a shot; 31% reached the box; 5.0 actions each
Chicago Stars FC: 48% possession; 100 possessions; 10% ended in a shot; 21% reached the box; 4.5 actions each

Where each team won the ball

North Carolina Courage

Chicago Stars FC

Where each possession began, both teams attacking right. North Carolina Courage started 5% of their possessions in the final third, Chicago Stars FC 6%.

Where the shots came from

North Carolina CourageChicago Stars FC

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

How each team moved the ball

North Carolina Courage

Chicago Stars 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 CourageChicago Stars FC

Share of possessions by number of actions.

Longer possessions shot more

North Carolina CourageChicago Stars 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 CourageChicago Stars 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 95 Only the 5 minutes up to it

North Carolina Courage attack right, Chicago Stars 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.

70 events shown.

Events shown, in recorded order
Time	Player	Team
1:44	J. Huitema	Chicago Stars FC
1:45	K. Sheridan	North Carolina Courage
2:11	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
2:12	A. Naeher	Chicago Stars FC
4:57	A. Farmer	Chicago Stars FC
8:19	M. Matsukubo	North Carolina Courage
8:56	K. Sheridan	North Carolina Courage
9:37	R. Gareis	Chicago Stars FC
10:33	D. Weatherholt	North Carolina Courage
12:24	R. Jackson	North Carolina Courage
13:02	J. Grosso	Chicago Stars FC
13:05	J. Bike	Chicago Stars FC
14:03	R. Williams	North Carolina Courage
14:24	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
23:24	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
24:51	R. Jackson	North Carolina Courage
26:35	H. Mackiewicz	Chicago Stars FC
27:34	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
28:05	K. Sheridan	North Carolina Courage
29:22	R. Gareis	Chicago Stars FC

Page 1 of 4

Lineups

North Carolina CourageFormation 4-3-3

North Carolina Courage, 4-3-3, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 1 K. Sheridan. Line 1: 13 R. Williams, 18 U. Shiragaki, 12 N. Staude, 17 D. Weatherholt. Line 2: 16 R. Jackson, 20 S. Koyama, 34 M. Matsukubo. Line 3: 8 C. Okafor, 10 E. Ijeh, 2 A. Sanchez.

North Carolina Courage 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
1	K. Sheridan	90	0	0	0.00
13	R. Williams	90	0	0	0.00
17	D. Weatherholt, off at 90+1′	90	0	0	0.08
20	S. Koyama	90	0	1	0.00
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0	0	0.00
12	N. Staude	90	0	0	0.34
16	R. Jackson	90	0	0	0.13
34	M. Matsukubo, off at 90+1′	90	1	0	0.45
10	E. Ijeh, off at 74′	74	1	0	0.64
8	C. Okafor, off at 46′	45	0	0	0.00
2	A. Sanchez, off at 79′	79	1	1	0.48
Substitutes
3	S. Schmidt, on at 90+1′	1	0	0	0.00
6	I. Younce, on at 79′	11	0	–	–
9	O. Wingate, on at 90+1′	1	0	–	–
14	C. Wickenheiser, on at 74′	16	0	0	0.00
35	A. Schlegel, on at 46′	45	1	0	0.27
Team			4	2	2.39

Unused: M. Pritchard, C. Brooks, C. Vine, O. Peña

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	0	0.00	0	0	1	84%	1	3
17	D. Weatherholt, off at 90+1′	90	0	0	0.08	1	0	0	77%	3	3
20	S. Koyama	90	0	1	0.00	0	0	2	94%	2	0
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	91%	0	0
12	N. Staude	90	0	0	0.34	1	0	0	87%	0	1
16	R. Jackson	90	0	0	0.13	2	0	4	79%	1	0
34	M. Matsukubo, off at 90+1′	90	1	0	0.45	6	2	2	76%	1	0
10	E. Ijeh, off at 74′	74	1	0	0.64	3	1	1	73%	1	0
8	C. Okafor, off at 46′	45	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	67%	0	0
2	A. Sanchez, off at 79′	79	1	1	0.48	4	2	3	67%	0	0
Substitutes
99	M. Pritchard	–
3	S. Schmidt, on at 90+1′	1	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	100%	0	0
5	C. Brooks	–
6	I. Younce, on at 79′	11	0	–	–	0	–	0	50%	0	0
9	O. Wingate, on at 90+1′	1	0	–	–	0	–	0	–	1	0
14	C. Wickenheiser, on at 74′	16	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	71%	0	0
22	C. Vine	–
35	A. Schlegel, on at 46′	45	1	0	0.27	1	1	0	56%	0	0
80	O. Peña	–
Team			4	2	2.39	18	6	14	81%	10	7

North Carolina Courage goalkeeper
#	Goalkeeper	Min	Saves	SOT faced	Save %	GA	Claims
1	K. Sheridan	90	3	3	100%	0	1

Clean sheet: K. Sheridan

Chicago Stars FCFormation 3-5-2

Chicago Stars FC, 3-5-2, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 1 A. Naeher. Line 1: 6 K. Hendrich, 3 S. Staab, 11 N. Gomes. Line 2: 4 J. Bike, 25 A. Farmer, 7 J. Grosso, 16 M. Hayashi, 24 R. Gareis. Line 3: 99 J. Huitema, 10 B. Pinto.

Chicago Stars 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
1	A. Naeher, off at 21′	21	0	0	0.00
4	J. Bike, off at 46′	45	0	–	–
24	R. Gareis, off at 76′	76	0	–	–
11	N. Gomes	90	0	0	0.00
3	S. Staab	90	0	0	0.02
6	K. Hendrich	90	0	0	0.09
25	A. Farmer, off at 70′	70	0	0	0.13
16	M. Hayashi	90	0	0	0.00
10	B. Pinto	90	0	0	0.04
99	J. Huitema	90	0	0	0.37
7	J. Grosso, off at 76′	76	0	0	0.06
Substitutes
22	H. Mackiewicz, on at 21′	69	0	0	0.00
8	J. Joseph, on at 76′	14	0	0	0.02
9	M. Swanson, on at 76′	14	0	0	0.00
13	L. Nesbeth, on at 70′	20	0	0	0.01
23	M. Johnson, on at 46′	45	0	0	0.04
Team			0	0	0.89

Unused: E. Evans, I. Chacón, M. López

All player stats

Chicago Stars FC lineup: 10 outfield starters, then 8 substitutes, then the team, with every figure for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG	Sh	SOT	CC	Pass %	Tkl	Int
4	J. Bike, off at 46′	45	0	–	–	1	–	1	67%	0	0
24	R. Gareis, off at 76′	76	0	–	–	1	–	1	50%	1	0
11	N. Gomes	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	74%	1	1
3	S. Staab	90	0	0	0.02	1	0	2	85%	0	3
6	K. Hendrich	90	0	0	0.09	1	1	2	81%	1	2
25	A. Farmer, off at 70′	70	0	0	0.13	1	0	1	81%	5	3
16	M. Hayashi	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	78%	1	1
10	B. Pinto	90	0	0	0.04	1	0	0	77%	1	2
99	J. Huitema	90	0	0	0.37	2	1	0	80%	1	0
7	J. Grosso, off at 76′	76	0	0	0.06	1	0	2	74%	2	0
Substitutes
22	H. Mackiewicz, on at 21′	69	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	82%	0	0
8	J. Joseph, on at 76′	14	0	0	0.02	1	0	0	50%	1	0
9	M. Swanson, on at 76′	14	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	80%	0	0
13	L. Nesbeth, on at 70′	20	0	0	0.01	1	1	1	70%	1	2
15	E. Evans	–
18	I. Chacón	–
23	M. Johnson, on at 46′	45	0	0	0.04	2	0	0	86%	1	0
77	M. López	–
Team			0	0	0.89	13	3	11	78%	16	14