The NC Courage went up to Montclair, New Jersey Tuesday, April 20 to take on NJ/NY Gotham FC and the top-of-the-table clash did not disappoint, with Gotham narrowly edging the win 4-3 with a goal in stoppage time.
An absolutely wild first half saw the Courage enter the break trailing 3-2 after the two sides combined for five goals in the span of 14 minutes in the opening half.
Midge Purce put Gotham in front in the 18th before Debinha grabbed two in the 22nd and 24th minutes to put the Courage on top. Looking to not be out done by Debinha, Purce leveled things up in the 26th minute and Carli Lloyd put Gotham back in front just six minutes later.
While neither team was putting on a defensive clinic, all three of Gotham’s goals highlighted how badly the Courage need Abby Erceg to get healthy because Schuyler DeBree, playing in just her second game as a Courage player, and Cari Roccaro, playing out of position, are not cutting it.
“I think we are viewing the Challenge Cup as, ‘it’s still preseason,’” said Meredith Speck. “When we look back at the film from this game, we are going to be able to dissect the film and really work on some things… We’ve got a lot of firepower going, but without Abby in the backine we lose a lot of leadership. We need to get comfortable without her back there and figure out how to move forward.”
Courage head coach Paul Riley, unhappy with his team’s defensive performance in the first half, pulled both his center backs after the break, bringing in Kaleigh Kurtz and Diane Caldwell. A double center back change is not something seen very often but the rare occurrence is a good indication of just how poor the Courage’s defense was in the first half.
“I’ve never, ever in my entire career switched two center backs at halftime. Ever,” Riley said. “Maybe not even one in a game, nevermind two before halftime. I feel bad for Schuyler and Cari Roccaro to be honest with you. They got left out to dry with the full backs getting so high and getting picked off. The sixes were all over the place. We looked very disorganized.
“Unfortunately, they paid the price and so did Casey Murphy in net too. I’m disappointed with the organization. We looked poor. We were poorly organized. Even though it is the same two that played last weekend, they just weren’t at the races at all. The only thing I blame them for is the lack of communication really. The organization in front or to the sides of them.”
Riley’s change worked out as Kurtz and Caldwell were a major improvement. While they still conceded one late, the pair were solid and once Erceg returns from injury, the Courage will have a solid defensive core.
“We’ve got to find a partner for Abby Erceg,” Riley said. “Obviously, she’s not playing and that’s a huge loss. Not having Abby on the field, just the leadership, organization, the usage of the line, how to hold the line, how to drop the line, I think that is what we lack at the moment. Just that leadership, the communication, that intelligence, that know-how of the position.”
It didn’t take long for the goal scoring to start again in the second half with Jessica McDonald, who has been on an absolute tear to start the Challenge Cup with two goals and two assists through two games, leveling things up at 3-3 in the 50th minute.
“I just talked about Carli Lloyd and how good she is right? And she is still getting better,” Riley said. “Well I think [McDonald] is in that category to be honest with you. She drifts around. She finds space really well. She comes underneath. She goes in behind. She rolls off. She runs the line. She is great in the box, tough to mark, times her runs really well. There are a lot of plusses when [McDonald] is playing… I’m really happy with [McDonald]. Tonight’s goal was really good, brave, obviously, getting into the penalty box. She is just playing well.”
It took a long time for the second goal of the second half to come but in the dying minutes, Evelyne Viens gave Gotham the game winner.
The Courage’s next game will be its second and final road game of the Challenge Cup as the team heads to Kentucky to take on Racing Louisville on Monday, April 26.
