r/nccourage

I was already inside the stadium, but everyone at the Uproar tailgate appreciated y'all coming by to talk about the Manaka trade, something I don't think anyone would have done in the past.

I'm retelling this second hand, so hopefully someone else can jump in, but the basics are Manaka was never going to stay in the NWSL, no matter how much money we or any other club offered. Because both happened and Manaka only had eyes for WSL.

And it sounds like her contract was written by our former Chief Soccer Operations guy and because of that and some other things, Chelsea was able to wisk her away for well under her worth. Unfortunate, but everything was done that could be done.

There's a lot of doom and gloom I've seen in our fandom spaces and I know it's because of how much the club has done us wrong in the past. I personally understand that, as I have fought with the club for years over many such things. I hope they can continue to show the growth and commitment to good soccer that I've seen over the last year and we as a fan base can start to heal.

Thank you to everyone who came out tonight.
It was one of the hottest days we’ve had this year, and you still showed up, showed out, and brought the energy from the first whistle to the last. The players felt it.

That’s four wins in a row for the Courage…the first time we’ve done that since 2023.

Now let’s see what we can do next week.

We have a legitimate chance to sell out First Horizon Stadium. Doing that in the middle of July would be a huge milestone for this club and another statement about where women’s soccer is headed in North Carolina.

Let’s make history…again

After a long break, Courage soccer returns to First Horizon Stadium tonight as we take on Seattle Reign.

A few things worth knowing before you head out:

New Kickoff Time

A reminder that our new kickoff time tonight is 7:30 PM.

Gates open at 5:30 PM, giving everyone extra time to enjoy Fan Fest, concessions, the STM Lounge, and pregame activities before kickoff.

Sports & Social Pregame Party

The Sports & Social pregame parties are back from 4:30 to 7:00 PM.

Grab a drink, meet up with fellow fans, then take the free shuttle to the March to the Match trailhead and make the walk into the stadium.

Courageously Cool Returns

We heard the feedback from last summer and expanded the program this year.

Tonight you'll find:

• Misting zones
• Complimentary water refill stations
• Complimentary ice stations
• Sunscreen stations
• Paper fans
• Beach chairs
• Ice dunk buckets
• Additional cooling areas around the stadium

It's going to be a little warm. Take advantage of it.

America's 250th Celebration

We're going a little bigger than normal for this one.

Fan Fest Specials ($2.50 each):

• Domestic beer
• Local draft beer
• Hot dogs
• Polish sausage
• Water
• Soda
• Grab-and-go snacks

$17.76 Backyard Bundle

• 2 hot dogs
• 1 soda or water
• 1 bag of chips

We'll also have:

• FREE BBQ samples
• FREE brewery samples (21+)
• Food trucks
• Expanded Fan Fest footprint
• America's 250th themed activities throughout the night

Supergirl Night

The first 500 fans through the gates will receive an NC Courage cape.

STM Highlights

A few STM reminders:

• STM Lounge opens at 5:30 PM
• 200 rechargeable fans available in the lounge while supplies last
• Fast Pass concession lanes available
• Fast Pass stadium entry at the Northeast Gate
• 20% off merchandise with your STM Member ID in the app
• Courage Cash can now be used on food, beverages, merchandise, and mobile ordering

Higher Love

We're continuing our new club tradition tonight.

Please try to be in your seats about 15 minutes before kickoff as we build out the "Higher Love" pregame moment before the team takes the field.

This is one of those things that only works if all of us commit to making it work.

See you tonight.

Let's make some noise and start the second half of the season being loud and proud. 💙❤️⚽

She hasn’t started in a while, and she’s not starting tonight. Are her minutes still being managed?

I’m heartbroken.

The link on the Courage homepage does not work...From the club's email:

The North Carolina Courage have agreed to transfer midfielder Manaka Matsukubo to Chelsea F.C. of the Barclays Women’s Super League for an agreed-upon fee, the clubs jointly announced on Friday.

Manaka, who was set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2026 NWSL season, had a clause in her contract requiring the Courage to approve any transfer at or above a particular threshold.

Manaka joined the club on loan from Mynavi Sendai during the 2023 season, before the move was made permanent in June 2024. The midfielder made an immediate impact upon arrival, being named the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup Final MVP following her crucial goal in the Courage’s repeat win of the midseason tournament.

Across three years at the club, Manaka made 58 regular season appearances, scoring 19 goals and adding 10 assists. Manaka departs the Courage with the fourth-most regular season goals in club history, while ranking tied for ninth in assists and fourth for overall goal contributions.

Manaka was named NWSL Midfielder of the Year in 2025 and made the league’s Best XI after finishing third in the Golden Boot race with 11 goals.

Thank you for everything, Manaka! You will always be a part of Courage Country!

I'm soooo bummed about losing Manaka and need to find some silver linings and copium here. I know overall it sucks and there aren't many positives but here's what I have so far

1. We have EMP!
2. Maybe we can use that transfer money to try and get some additional talent on the roster
3. Maybe someone else can step up in her place?

DM me if you want them! :)

Edit: theyve been claimed!

What’s your “don’t pass out” strategy? What section do you sit in?

Saw this on the website today and sharing it here for those of us going to the game

I got a notification from the Courage app. I was hoping it was a delay of match announcement. Instead it was reminding me to park in the Orange deck and walk a mile. 😕

Edit: courage emails and PR have all arrived. Match is delayed until 7:30. There will be listing tents and paper seat covers to alleviate Hot Metal on Yer Bum.

Stay hydrated and safe people! Go courage!!!

I’m honestly shocked that the league isn’t doing some sort of weather delay for this match. We are going to be easily over 100- every weather alert is warning about this weekend.

As we've talked about before, one of the things we're working through right now is our 2027 Season Ticket Member program.

Every year we review the entire STM experience...benefits, events, access, gifts, early bird incentives, renewal incentives, and everything in between. One thing we've learned is that STM gifts are highly personal. What one member loves, another member may never use.

So rather than spend months debating it internally, we want to hear directly from you all.

If you could choose your ideal STM gift, what would it be?

A few ground rules:

• Think about something you would genuinely value and use.
• Think about something that would make you excited to renew.
• Think about something that might convince a friend or family member to become an STM for the first time.
• It can be apparel, collectibles, experiences, access, memberships, exclusive merchandise, etc.

One thing we're also exploring is the multi-year STM price lock program. Nothing is finalized, but we've been working through different concepts and benefits that would make a longer-term commitment worthwhile for members.

If we move forward with it, one of the ideas currently getting a lot of internal support is an exclusive custom Courage bomber jacket that would only be available through the program. Again, no promises yet, but it's one of the concepts we're evaluating.

Like we did with the merchandise thread, drop your ideas below. I'll take them back to the team, we'll discuss what is realistic, and I'll report back on what we can and can't do.

Fire away. 👇🦁💙

Disclaimer: I cannot promise we'll implement every idea. There are always realities around minimum order quantities, costs, inventory, fulfillment, licensing, and operations. But every suggestion will be reviewed and discussed internally.

For those interested in learning more about our new signing, Bill's post provides a good analysis of how and where she plays.

I am a STM in the supporters section. I couldn't make it to the game one night so swaped my ticket. However, looking at the future games I'm not seeing an option to purchase a supporters section ticket for any of them. I figure I'm probably doing something wrong because I can see the option still to by sec 205 season tickets, just not for any single game. How would I do this?