Sights: North Carolina Courage First Home Opener

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ImagesNorth Carolina CourageNWSL
··1 min read
Hayley Raso is feeling it (Shane Lardinois).
Hayley Raso is feeling it.
Adrianna Franch makes a save during warm-ups (Shane Lardinois).
Adrianna Franch makes a save during warm-ups.
Flyover (Shane Lardinois).
Flyover.
Mana Shim (Shane Lardinois).
Mana Shim.
Portland Thorns FC during introductions (Shane Lardinois).
Portland Thorns FC during introductions.
North Carolina Courage during introductions (Shane Lardinois).
North Carolina Courage during introductions.
Christine Sinclair (Shane Lardinois).
Christine Sinclair.
Sam Mews lines up a shot (Shane Lardinois).
Sam Mews lines up a shot.
Jaelene Hinkle controls the ball (Shane Lardinois).
Jaelene Hinkle controls the ball.
Jessica McDonald up close (Shane Lardinois).
Jessica McDonald up close.
Action from the North Carolina Courage's first home opener by Shane Lardinois.
Action from the North Carolina Courage's first home opener.
Nadia Nadim and Yuri Kawamura (Shane Lardinois).
Nadia Nadim and Yuri Kawamura.
Abby Dahlkemper heads the ball (Shane Lardinois).
Abby Dahlkemper heads the ball.
Allie Long of the Portland Thorns (Shane Lardinois).
Allie Long of the Portland Thorns.
Celeste Boureille (Shane Lardinois).
Celeste Boureille.
Lindsey Horan and Sam Mewis vie for the ball (Shane Lardinois).
Lindsey Horan and Sam Mewis vie for the ball.
Abby Erceg looks to start the attack (Shane Lardinois).
Abby Erceg looks to start the attack.
Emily Sonnett and Jess McDonald battle for the ball (Shane Lardinois).
Emily Sonnett and Jess McDonald battle for the ball.
North Carolina Courage's Yuri Kawamura (Shane Lardinois).
North Carolina Courage's Yuri Kawamura.
Makenzy Doniak has her eyes on the ball (Shane Lardinois).
Makenzy Doniak has her eyes on the ball.
Adrianna Franch makes a save with a little help from Emily Menges (Shane Lardinois).
Adrianna Franch makes a save with a little help from Emily Menges.
Nadia Nadim takes one for the team (Shane Lardinois).
Nadia Nadim takes one for the team.
Sabrina D'Angelo distributes the ball (Shane Lardinois).
Sabrina D'Angelo distributes the ball.
Adrianna Franch of the Portland Thorns FC (Shane Lardinois).
Adrianna Franch of the Portland Thorns FC.
Debinha of the North Carolina Courage (Shane Lardinois).
Debinha of the North Carolina Courage.
Sinclair and Mewis (Shane Lardinois).
Sinclair and Mewis.
Celeste Boureille and Jaelene Hinkle (Shane Lardinois).
Celeste Boureille and Jaelene Hinkle.
Courage supporters (Shane Lardinois).
Courage supporters.
Adrianna Franch punches the ball out (Shane Lardinois).
Adrianna Franch punches the ball out.
Allie Long in discussion with the referee Shane Lardinois).
Allie Long in discussion with the referee.
Battling (Shane Lardinois).
Battling.
Paul Riley, head coach of the North Carolina Courage (Shane Lardinois).
Paul Riley, head coach of the North Carolina Courage.
Lindsey Horan on the attack (Shane Lardinois).
Lindsey Horan on the attack.
Lynn Williams gets up (Shane Lardinois).
Lynn Williams gets up.
Sam Mewis and Amandine Henry get to know one another (Shane Lardinois).
Sam Mewis and Amandine Henry get to know one another.
Amandine Henry expresses herself (Shane Lardinois).
Amandine Henry expresses herself.
Sam Mewis and Amandine Henry may or may not be on the same page (Shane Lardinois).
Sam Mewis and Amandine Henry may or may not be on the same page.
Meghan Cox developing a relationship with the ball (Shane Lardinois).
Meghan Cox developing a relationship with the ball.
Sam Mewis recieves a yellow card (Shane Lardinois).
Sam Mewis recieves a yellow card.
Taylor Smith and the ball (Shane Lardinois).
Taylor Smith and the ball.
The North Carolina Courage celebrate Debinha's goal (Shane Lardinois).
The North Carolina Courage celebrate Debinha's goal.
Ashley Hatch (Shane Lardinois).
Ashley Hatch.
Taylor Smith (11) and Nadia Nadim (9) (Shane Lardinois).
Taylor Smith (11) and Nadia Nadim (9).
Abby Dahlkemper (Shane Lardinois).
Abby Dahlkemper.
Supporter problems (Shane Lardinois).
Supporter problems.
Mark Parsons, head coach of the Portland Thorns FC (Shane Lardinois).
Mark Parsons, head coach of the Portland Thorns FC.
Horan and Sonnett (Shane Lardinois).
Horan and Sonnett.
Sabrina D'Angelo of the North Carolina Courage takes a moment.
Sabrina D'Angelo of the North Carolina Courage takes a moment.
McCall Zerboni celebrates the Courage's win (Shane Lardinois).
McCall Zerboni celebrates the Courage's win.
Celebrating a win (Shane Lardinois).
Celebrating a win.

The North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) won its very first home opener, 1-0, over the Portland Thorns FC at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina on April 22, 2017, in front of a crowd of 6,298.

The team, formerly the Western New York Flash, relocated to Cary, North Carolina, from Rochester, New York, in the offseason after an ownership change. The Western New York Flash won the 2016 NWSL Championship and retain the core of its team, including head coach Paul Riley.

Debinha had the game-winner in the 81st minute, burying a header off a Jessica McDonald cross in from the right.

The team is coming off a week one win over the Washington Spirit.

Shane Lardinois was on the sidelines to capture all of the action.