**CARY, N.C. –** The North Carolina Courage and Gotham FC dueled to a 1-1 draw in Wednesday night’s Challenge Cup action, with Courage forward Mille Gejl’s third-minute opener wiped out by a second half goal via Gotham forward Lynn Williams. The draw is North Carolina’s second straight in the competition, while Gotham FC adds to its point tally after a win in the opening game.
The action kicked off quickly with a set of North Carolina players pressuring Gotham in possession near the midfield line. After winning the ball back, the Courage were unleashed down the right side with forward Olivia Wingate on the ball. Breaking into the penalty area, Wingate then picked out the run of her teammate Mille Gejl at the far post and played a perfect ball across the six-yard box to the forward. From there, all Gejl had to do was tap it home to put the hosts in front early on.
Just six minutes later, North Carolina was provided another opportunity, this one from 12 yards out as a handball was whistled against Gotham’s Ellie Jean and after VAR review, the decision stood. Up then stepped Courage midfielder Brianna Pinto in the 11 ^th minute, but her right-footed shot toward the left side of goal was guessed correctly by Gotham goalkeeper Michelle Betos who produced a great save. Parrying the ball to her right, Betos then had to cover her near post immediately as North Carolina defender Emily Fox struck a shot with her left foot. The shot hit the post on its way out, though, giving Gotham a moment to breath as the Courage came close to doubling their advantage.
In the 31 ^st minute, another chance for the Courage presented itself as a pass chipped ahead for the forward Wingate saw her push through the Gotham back line as she ran toward the ball. Off her line quickly was Betos though, and the goalkeeper did just enough to put Wingate off on her effort and end the move before a shot was taken. Six minutes later, Wingate did get a shot off–and a powerful one at that–but Betos was in position to shove the ball over the bar and out of play with North Carolina not converting from the set piece that followed.
At the halftime interval, the Courage held onto their one goal lead despite creating a few more looks in front of goal to make it more than that.
Into the second half, Gotham started to play its way back into the match a bit beginning with a set piece chance from the right flank right on the hour mark. The ball in was cleared into the sky without North Carolina getting it out of the penalty area, and it eventually fell to the feet of Gotham’s Nealy Martin a little over 12 yards out from goal. However, Martin’s effort on the bounce did not have enough to squeeze past Courage goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland.
In the 65 ^th minute, a contentious decision in the Gotham defensive third then nearly changed the tide of the match entirely. Wingate was rushing to meet a pass just outside the penalty area when Betos, who had been off her line consistently throughout the night, came out in an attempt to win the ball. Initially, the challenge caused the head official to show a red card. However, after a VAR review, the decision was waved off and Gotham were restored to a full field.
Then the match really changed back in Gotham’s favor when forward Lynn Williams scored the side’s all-important equalizer in the 74 ^th minute. Teammate Jenna Nighswonger was on the ball out left when she whipped in a cross to the center near Williams. The cross was closer to a Courage defender than it was Williams on its way in, but Williams put in the hustle to edge the defender to the ball and beat it past Rowland to square the match at one all.
In the 84 ^th minute, North Carolina had one final chance to restore their lead and beat Gotham near the end, but an attempt from Sydney Collins in the center of the box was close but missed just left as Betos dove to cover her space.
At the fulltime whistle, a hard fought battle saw Gotham’s second half goal from Lynn Williams cancel out Courage forward Mille Gejl’s early opener, though North Carolina may feel the more hard done by having created more looks in front of goal at the end of the night.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights