{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/65eb196f82e6910016356fa6/6ab4688b079b46c81995af49?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"A Step Short","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/65eb196f82e6910016356fa6/1790207443581-c734ddd4-b106-4a89-a1ab-1ff230f0afaf.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>The NC Courage fall 2-1 to Gotham FC in a gritty, physical match at WakeMed, dropping to seventh in the table with just five matches left. Trevor and Katie break down a wonky midfield and a defense that keeps getting caught too far forward. Then they look ahead to a road trip against the Utah Royals, on the wrong side of their win-loss-win-loss pattern lately. But they&#39;re missing two starters, so can we break that?</p><p><br></p><h2>In This Episode</h2><h3>What We Learned This Week: NC Courage vs. Gotham FC</h3><p>The eighth-minute Gotham goal that kicked off the match came from Sam Kerr drawing five defenders before finding Jordynn Dudley wide open. We break down the center back over-commitment that keeps leaving space behind, why the midfield trio of Erica Meg Parkinson, Shinomi Koyama, and Vilde Bøe Risa looks technically brilliant but structurally loose, and a predictable substitution pattern. Plus, Gianna Paul&#39;s first start and what it revealed about the ongoing search for answers at right wing.</p><p><br></p><h3>Looking Ahead: Utah Royals</h3><p>Utah will be missing two starters to red card suspensions from their match against Angel City. They&#39;ve been stuck in an alternating win-loss pattern for five straight matches. We break down former Courage midfielder Narumi Miura&#39;s growing influence in central midfield and why Trevor and Katie both see this as a genuinely winnable match at the right time. But please, let&#39;s minimize the opponent&#39;s corner kicks.</p><p><br></p><h3>Courage News</h3><p>A September sellout at WakeMed, the second-largest crowd in club history, with Courage legend Sam Mewis in attendance. Shinomi Koyama hits 50 NWSL regular-season appearances. Ryan Williams celebrated for reaching 10,000 career minutes, all with the Courage. And the Courage hosted a Unified match with Special Olympics North Carolina, headlined by community ambassador Riley Jackson.</p><p><br></p><h3>Around the League</h3><p>Gotham becomes the first team to officially clinch a playoff spot. Vlatko Andonovski is announced as Chicago&#39;s new sporting director, reuniting him with longtime youth coach connections at the club as speculation builds about what a rebuild there could look like.</p><p><br></p><h2>About The Lion’s Pitch Podcast</h2><p>Welcome to The Lion’s Pitch, your go-to podcast for everything North Carolina Courage. Every week, Trevor and Katie break down the latest matches, preview upcoming opponents, discuss NC Courage news, and take a look around the NWSL. Plus, we’ll bring you bonus episodes with interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and some fun surprises along the way.</p><p><br></p><p>New episode drops every Thursday.</p><p><br></p><h2>Subscribe &amp; Follow</h2><p>Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and find us online at <a href=\"https://www.lionspitch.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">lionspitch.com</a>, follow us on Bluesky <a href=\"https://bsky.app/profile/lionspitch.bsky.social\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">@lionspitch.bsky.social</a>, or on Instagram <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelionspitch\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">@thelionspitch</a></p><ul><li>Hosted by <a href=\"https://bsky.app/profile/featuringtrevor.bsky.social\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Trevor Knoblich</a> and <a href=\"https://bsky.app/profile/kt1986.bsky.social\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Katie Cleary</a></li><li>Produced by <a href=\"https://bsky.app/profile/marypruter.bsky.social\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Mary Pruter</a></li><li>Edited by <a href=\"https://bsky.app/profile/likethe309.bsky.social\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Danielle Russell</a></li></ul>","author_name":"Trevor Knoblich and Katie Cleary"}