The sports world has gone dark in recent weeks, filled with uncertainty over when we will see leagues around the world resume. We are also waiting to see the NWSL get back underway in the United States. While we could be on pause for a period of time, we still have plenty of talking points as we head towards the start of the new season.
The North Carolina Courage are going into this new campaign looking to defend their title. Much of the side remains the same from last season, but a couple of issues will need to be addressed. Additionally, while they won the title come seasons end, they did not go through the campaign without showing weaknesses that could be further exploited in the future.
In this tactical analysis scout report of the Courage, we will look at the major tactics in Paul Riley’s ride. This analysis will discuss their attacking and defending tactics, as well as look into the weak areas from this past season and how they might go about rectifying them moving forward.
Lineup
Riley will be happy that he will be able to rely on the majority of the same squad that he has been able to the past couple of seasons. The only major departure is Heather O’Reilly, who retired after last season to take up an assistant coaching position at the women’s football program of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
They made four selections in the 2020 NWSL Draft. Their most notable addition is Ally Watt out of Texas A&M. The forward was selected with the sixth overall pick in the draft and will provide a lot of competition up top for Riley’s side moving into the seasons to come.
Above you can see the Courage’s usual formation, and the personnel we are likely to see begin the new campaign.
