North Carolina Courage W vs Chicago Red Stars W: Struggling Teams Clash in NWSL

WakeMed Soccer Park stages a meeting of two struggling sides on 16 May 2026 as North Carolina Courage W host Chicago Red Stars W in the NWSL Women group stage. The Courage come into the fixture 13th in the league with 9 points from 8 games, while Chicago sit bottom in 16th on 6 points from 9 matches. There are no cup implications here, but in league terms the stakes are clear: both teams are trying to drag themselves away from the foot of the table and stabilise their seasons.

Form and context

In the league, North Carolina’s recent form line of LLDWD underlines their inconsistency but also hints at resilience. Across all phases they have 2 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats from 8 matches, with a goal difference of 9-11. At WakeMed Soccer Park, they have been patchy: 1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses, scoring 6 and conceding 8. They are more open at home, averaging 1.5 goals for and 2.0 against.

Chicago’s situation is more severe. Their form reads LLLWL, and across all phases they have lost 7 of 9 games, with 2 wins, no draws and a stark 4-18 goal record. Away from home they have been particularly fragile: 4 defeats from 4, no goals scored and 10 conceded. An average of 0.0 goals for and 2.5 against on the road paints a clear picture of an attack that struggles to travel and a defence that is regularly exposed.

The Courage are hardly flying, but they look more balanced: 1.1 goals scored and 1.4 conceded per game overall, compared with Chicago’s 0.4 scored and 2.0 conceded. Even a modest performance level from the hosts tends to produce chances, whereas the Red Stars have failed to score in 7 of their 9 league outings.

Tactical outlook: Courage

North Carolina’s tactical profile is flexible but attack-minded. They have most frequently lined up in a 4-3-3 (3 times), with alternative shapes of 3-4-3, 4-4-2, 5-3-2 and 3-4-2-1 each used at least once. That variety suggests a coach willing to adjust the structure while keeping a front-foot approach, especially at home where they average 1.5 goals.

The defensive numbers at WakeMed are a concern: 8 conceded in 4 home matches and no home clean sheets this season. Across all phases they have only 2 clean sheets, both away, which underlines that their high-tempo or expansive home game can leave space to exploit. The biggest home defeat, 1-3, and the fact their “biggest goals against” at home is 3, indicate that when they do get stretched, they can be punished.

Discipline is another tactical factor. North Carolina’s yellow cards cluster heavily between minutes 46-60 (4 yellows, 40% of their cautions) and they have already seen a red card in the 76-90 minute window. That pattern hints at intensity spikes after half-time and some late-game risk-taking, which could influence how they manage a lead or chase a result.

The key figure in the Courage setup is Ashley Nicole Sanchez. The midfielder has 5 goals in 8 league appearances, all starts, with 661 minutes played and an impressive rating of 7.35. She is a high-volume contributor: 18 shots (11 on target), 158 passes with 11 key passes, and 36 dribble attempts. Her output indicates a player who both drives progression and finishes moves, effectively operating as the primary attacking reference. With no penalties scored or missed, her goal tally is coming from open play or non-penalty situations, underlining her importance in dynamic phases.

Given Chicago’s away record, it would be logical for North Carolina to lean into a 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 that maximises Sanchez’s freedom between the lines, using wide forwards to pin back Chicago’s full-backs and midfield runners to attack the second ball around the box.

Tactical outlook: Chicago

Chicago’s season statistics are stark. Across all phases they have scored just 4 goals in 9 games, and none away from home. Their “failed to score” count is 7 matches overall and a perfect 4 of 4 away. On the other side of the ball, they concede 2.0 goals per game, rising to 2.5 away.

Tactically, they have largely stuck with a 4-2-3-1 (8 matches) and only once used a 4-3-3. The 4-2-3-1 suggests a double pivot designed to protect a vulnerable back line, but the numbers show that shield has not been effective enough, particularly on the road where they have conceded 10 goals. Their biggest away defeat, 4-0, and a general pattern of multi-goal concessions point to issues in defensive structure and transitions.

Chicago’s discipline profile is relatively controlled, with yellow cards spread mainly across 31-45 and 46-60 minutes. They have no red cards recorded, which at least suggests they are not frequently handicapping themselves numerically. However, with no team or player penalties taken this season, there is no set-piece boost to offset their lack of open-play threat.

The tactical challenge for the Red Stars will be balancing the need to finally score away from home with the risk of opening up against a Courage side that are more productive at WakeMed. A conservative 4-2-3-1, with a compact mid-block and an emphasis on counter-attacks, seems likely. But given their 0 goals in 4 away matches, they will need more aggressive support to the lone striker and better use of wide areas to trouble a Courage defence that concedes 2.0 per home game.

Head-to-head record

The recent competitive head-to-head record strongly favours North Carolina. The last five league meetings (all NWSL Women) read:

• 23 August 2025: Chicago Red Stars W 3-3 North Carolina Courage W at SeatGeek Stadium – draw.
• 17 May 2025: North Carolina Courage W 2-0 Chicago Red Stars W at WakeMed Soccer Park – North Carolina win.
• 29 September 2024: Chicago Red Stars W 1-3 North Carolina Courage W at SeatGeek Stadium – North Carolina win.
• 23 June 2024: North Carolina Courage W 3-1 Chicago Red Stars W at WakeMed Soccer Park – North Carolina win.
• 27 August 2023: North Carolina Courage W 1-1 Chicago Red Stars W at WakeMed Soccer Park – draw.

Across these five matches, North Carolina have 3 wins, Chicago have 0, and there have been 2 draws. The Courage have been particularly strong at WakeMed in this fixture, with 2 wins and 2 draws in the last four home meetings in this sequence.

Key statistical contrasts

• Attack: North Carolina – 9 goals in 8 games (1.1 per match); Chicago – 4 in 9 (0.4 per match).
• Defence: North Carolina – 11 conceded (1.4 per match); Chicago – 18 conceded (2.0 per match).
• Home vs away: Courage at home – 6 scored, 8 conceded in 4; Red Stars away – 0 scored, 10 conceded in 4.
• Clean sheets: North Carolina – 2 (both away); Chicago – 1 (home only).

North Carolina’s biggest home win is 2-1, and their biggest away win is 0-1, which indicates they rarely run up huge margins but consistently find ways to score. Chicago’s biggest home win is 2-0, but away they have no wins and no goals.

The verdict

All available data points towards North Carolina Courage W as clear favourites at WakeMed Soccer Park. They have the superior league position, a more balanced goal profile, and a strong recent head-to-head record, including three wins in the last five competitive meetings. Chicago Red Stars W arrive with four straight away defeats, no goals scored on the road, and the league’s joint-worst defensive numbers.

Tactically, the Courage’s flexible attacking shapes and the influence of Ashley Sanchez should allow them to control territory and chance creation, especially against a Chicago side that struggles to convert possession into shots and goals. The main caveat for North Carolina is their own defensive vulnerability at home and occasional disciplinary issues late in games, which could offer Chicago a route back if the hosts lose focus.

On balance, though, the matchup of North Carolina’s home attack against Chicago’s travel-sick defence, combined with the historical edge at WakeMed, makes a home win the most logical expectation. A result that sees the Courage score at least once and extend Chicago’s away scoring drought would be fully in line with the season’s trends so far.