u/LionsPitch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Friday, September 4, 2026 

NC COURAGE SIGN BRAZILIAN WINGER BIA THROUGH 2027

23-year-old forward joins the Courage as a free agent

CARY, N.C. (Sept. 4, 2026) — The North Carolina Courage have signed free agent Brazilian forward Bia (Ana Beatriz Gomes Lopes) through the 2027 NWSL regular season with a club option for the 2028 season.

Bia spent the last two seasons with Russian club ZFK Zenit, scoring three goals in all competitions. On the international stage, Bia helped Brazil win the 2022 CONMEBOL U-20 Championship.

“I am very excited to join the North Carolina Courage. This is a big step in my career. I can’t wait to get out on the field with my new teammates and show Courage Country what I can do,” Bia said.

“We are pleased to welcome Bia to the Courage. She has many attributes that we were looking for to complement the players in our attacking unit. Her commitment to contribute with and without the ball and curiosity to learn are standout features, and we are excited to see her grow in our environment,” said Courage Chief Soccer Officer Ceri Bowley.

Bia started her professional career in Brazil with Internacional in 2022, scoring two goals in 15 appearances, before moving to Changchun Dazhong in China in 2023. After two seasons in China, Bia moved to Zenit, where she spent two seasons. During her two seasons in China, Bia scored 10 goals and added five assists in 47 appearances.

Additionally, the Courage have acquired an international roster spot from the Seattle Reign through the 2027 NWSL season in exchange for $60,000 in intra-league transfer funds.

With Bia’s signing, the Courage have 28 players under contract, with 26 active and two on the Season-Ending Injury list. Bia will utilize an international roster spot.

Transaction: The North Carolina Courage signed free agent Brazilian winger Bia (Ana Beatriz Gomes Lopes) through the 2027 NWSL regular season with a club option for the 2028 season.

Name: Bia (Ana Beatriz Gomes Lopes)

Position: Forward

Height: 5-3

Date of Birth (Age): February 13, 2003 (23)

Hometown: Axixá, Brazil

Last Club: ZFK Zenit W (Russian Championship)

Jersey Number: 21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Friday, September 4, 2026

ASHLEY SANCHEZ, EVELYN IJEH NAMED TO NWSL BEST XI FOR AUGUST

Courage duo combined for 12 goal contributions during the month

Ashley Sanchez and Evelyn Ijeh celebrate during the Courage's match against Angel City. CREDIT: Lewis Gettier

Sanchez and Ijeh Highlights

CARY, N.C. (Sept. 4, 2026) — The North Carolina Courage’s Ashley Sanchez and Evelyn Ijeh were named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month for August, presented by Amazon Prime. The monthly honor from the NWSL is the second of the season for both Sanchez and Ijeh, who also made the Best XI in April and July, respectively.

The Courage’s dynamic duo combined for 12 goal contributions during the month, with Sanchez scoring five goals and picking up two assists, while Ijeh scored four goals and picked up one assist. Sanchez was also named NWSL Player of the Month.

Sanchez and Ijeh have combined for 26 goals this season, with both players ranking in the top three for the Golden Boot, tying an NWSL record for a pair of teammates. The duo is also just the third pair of teammates to both score double-digit goals in the same season.

The Courage will be back in action this weekend for the second match of a three-match road swing, taking on the Chicago Stars at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 6. The match will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

The Courage take six out of nine points from three games in eight days. We break down the win over Angel City and the nearly comeback against Kansas City. At one point, Mak Lind pulled every centerback off the field going for the tying goal.

On that decision: "Really, at the end of the game, I don't think we had any centerbacks in there. He said, let's go, going for broke, going to get the offense out there, going to try and win. Having a coach that's willing to go for it and then the players that are figuring it out as we go throughout the game, so different than what we've seen the last few years."

We also get into Sanchez and Ijeh combining more directly, our injury situation before looking ahead. Chicago Stars are struggling, so hopefully we don't fall back on old habits of playing down to our opponent.

What did y'all think of that Kansas City finish? Courageous or reckless?

Episode 22 is out now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026

ASHLEY SANCHEZ NAMED NWSL PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST

Sanchez recorded league-best seven goal contributions in record-filled month

CARY, N.C. (Sept. 3, 2026) — North Carolina Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez was named NWSL Player of the Month for August, the league announced Thursday. Sanchez also took home the NWSL’s monthly honor in April.

Sanchez recorded a league-best seven goal contributions, five goals and two assists, during August, leading the Courage to a 4W-2L-0D record. With her five goals during the month, Sanchez broke or tied multiple club and league records.

Sanchez, who leads the Golden Boot race with 15 goals, broke the Courage single-season scoring record, while also tying the NWSL single-season scoring record for an American and the NWSL single-season brace record (4).

The Courage will be back in action this weekend for the second match of a three-match road swing, taking on the Chicago Stars at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 6. The match will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

We sat down with Ally Schlegel this week and it was such a fun conversation. She spoke about her path through basically every position on the field, her love of the outdoors, her 15 year old lucky bandana and so much more.

On why she chose the Courage as a free agent:

"I think one of the most unique parts about North Carolina is they seem to be resilient throughout the years in terms of having an identity and a DNA, which I think has been really hard for teams in the NWSL."

And as always, we talk about what we learned this week, cover standout stats, look ahead and cover news for the Courage and NWSL. You know we definitely break down the 2-1 win over Boston, capped by a stoppage time Ashley Sanchez penalty. 90+17' is latest goal in NWSL history and puts her in the lead for Golden Boot race.

Episode 21 is out now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

New episode drops tomorrow, and we've got a guest joining us.

Drop your guesses below!

We sat down with Evelyn Ijeh this week, and it was such a fun conversation. She talks about joining the Courage and what is like adjusting to a whole new country and league. We cover her fast-growing partnership with Ashley Sanchez and Ally Schlegal. And discuss what she's like off the pitch, including her love of journaling and drawing.

On finding her groove with a new team:

"I think everyone is different in terms of that. Like I know for myself that usually when I reach a new environment, reach a new team, a new league, for example, it always takes time for me to settle in. And I know that for myself that I'm going to need this time to organize myself and organize getting to know teammates and style of play and all that kind of stuff. So knowing that I'm just really kind of enjoying most of the journey and just like doing what I can to make sure that I try to adapt as fast as possible as well. But I know on the long run that when I start getting comfortable, things just start like becoming like pieces in a puzzle. Like it starts like you can start feeling the connections and stuff like that."

We also break down the 2-3 loss to Houston, including losing Natalie Jacobs early to a concussion. Then we look ahead to Boston and Angel City.

Victoria Klum joins this week while Trevor is still out on paternity leave.

Episode 20 is out now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

That Washington game still has us feeling high. A Sanchez acrobatic goal. An Ijeh brace. That 95th-minute go-ahead goal from our center back and captain, Natalie Jacobs! We're not built for this kind of stress, but we'll take it.

"[Natalie Jacobs] goes and does crazy things like sprinting the length of the pitch, and then having Feli make an amazing pass to her. And she just calmly slots the ball into the back of the net to win the game for us. She read that that was the moment. She steps forward with the ball, does a little bit of a dribble forward, but then sees all the space out in front of her. And it's the exact right moment for that kind of run from a center back. It's the end of the game, and you go for the win." - Katie

We also look ahead to Houston this Sunday.

"I feel Houston will give us a little bit more space. I don't think they're quite as clogged up in the passing lanes as maybe the Spirit are with their ability to quickly recover. Being a little bit more progressive and trying to find different ways to score is going to be really important there." -Aaron

New episode is up now at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Not sure what it means for the U20s World Cup, especially with UEFA still threatening to boycott

Courage News

• The big news that EVERYONE is talking about is that Manaka Matsukubo was traded to Chelsea (WSL) via a release clause. We share our conversations with Ralph and Ceri about it.
• Erica Parkinson signed with the team, though not a one-to-one Manaka replacement; more part of ongoing roster building. Will be available after July 14.
• Shinomi Koyama signed a contract extension
• Natalie Jacobs recovering well, expected back soon; Macy Bell is back
• Courtney Vine and the club parted ways (mutual)

Ralph Vuono Interview

We spoke with Ralph Vuono, Chief Business Officer, during the NWSL break, and he shared a ton of insights into marketing, fan retention, and where he sees the business headed. A few things we think are interesting:

• The Triangle is a fast-growing market, which is both an opportunity and a challenge because a lot of newcomers don't know the Courage exists.
• He walked us through data points that reshaped their strategy: at one point, only 6% of fans returned for a second game, which led the club to dissect everything from parking to concessions to the in-game experience.
• The team isn't thinking about competing with the Canes, the Bulls, or local colleges; they're competing with everything else people could be doing with their free time in the Triangle.
• He was candid about building connection with fans being the long game, not just ticket sales.

We think it's definitely worth the listen. Some of the audio is a bit wonky during the interview; we had some recording issues, and we apologize for that.

Looking Back: NC Courage 3-1 Seattle Reign

Rough start in brutal heat (100°F+). Despite a shaky start, we managed to score several goals and get our first 4-game win streak since 2023.

Looking Ahead: Washington Spirit

Washington plays a much more technical, possession-heavy style than Seattle. They're our first major test against a top-seeded team.

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Ralph told us anytime we want anybody from the club to come on the show, just say the word and they'll set it up. So who from the Courage organization would y'all want to hear from next?

You can listen at lionspitch.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 🦁