Gotham FC Lose In North Carolina

First Half

Gotham FC’s high press pinned the Courage on its heels for a large portion of the first half, as the visitors led 6-4 in shots and 4-1 in corner kicks. From a strong possession sequence to several close chances in the opening minutes, Gotham FC continued stringing passes together and sending in dangerous set pieces to remain on the front foot through the final moments before halftime. 
 
In the ninth minute on a set piece in the final third near the left endline, Bruninha sent a lofted ball into the box that defender and captain Tierna Davidson flicked just wide of goal. Then, in the 17th minute, a corner kick to the near post found Esther, who fed the ball to the top of the box for a long-range shot from Bruninha that went just high of the top corner.
 
The Courage earned its first dangerous chance in the 34th minute when midfielder Ashley Sanchez received a ball from the right wing and took a first-touch, low-driven strike that went wide left of the goal. 
 
In the 41st minute, Gotham FC had a near chance when forward Yazmeen Ryan – who assisted the game-winner against the Portland Thorns last week – set herself up just outside the top of the box to fire a screamer from distance that rattled off the middle of the crossbar. 
 
With Gotham FC owning the momentum, the Courage broke the deadlock in the waning minutes of the first half, when Ryan Williams came down the right flank and served a cross into the box that Sanchez headed down for a toe-poke by Brianna Pinto in the 44th minute for a 1-0 lead at halftime. The goal marked North Carolina’s one and only shot on goal of the match. 

Second Half

At the start of the second half, both teams came out with end-to-end action for the opening 10 minutes before Gotham FC again dominated the dangerous chances in the final third. With opportunities to equalize the scoreline even into the final moments, Gotham FC came close, but could not find the back of the net. The match finished 1-0.