Boston Legacy FC suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against the North Carolina Courage on Saturday.
Boston (5-11-5) left the rematch in Cary, North Carolina, with zero points and its third consecutive loss. The expansion club is now 15th in the league.
Head coach Filipa Patão’s 3-5-2 had Casey Murphy in goal with Bianca St-Georges, Deja Davis, and Emerson Elgin on the backline. Lilly Reale and Nichelle Prince took the wings, and Annie Karich, Alba Caño, and Barbara Olivieri made up the midfield. Amanda Gutierres and Sammy Smith were at the top.
Here are three thoughts from the game:
The Battle
The Legacy spent most of the first half defending its own goal and trying to gain possession. Murphy had a busy night in the net, making six saves and recording two clearances and 11 recoveries.
It came as no surprise that Ashley Sanchez – who is having her best season yet – caused the most problems for BLFC’s defense. She was responsible for seven of the 16 shots taken by NC.
In a 1v1 with Davis, Sanchez was able to step aside and slot the ball into the far post. The Courage took nine shots (four on target) in the first half.
Ella Stevens, who replaced Smith in the 73rd minute, said the early goal rattled the team but she was proud of how the team was able to recoup.
“It's just like a punch in the gut, and I think it took a second for the team to just regroup and again find our rhythm, play the way we want to play,” she said.
The team pressed higher in the second half and was able to recover more balls. Boston kept 55% possession in the second and fired five shots with three on target. The Courage took seven with four on target.
Davis made her second start as center back after joining the team at the start of July. Though it took some time to make her debut, Patão is content with Davis’ consistency.
“She keeps calm in possession, and she can play with left and right foot,” the coach said after the game. “[She’s a] strong and fast player, so she brings different things and good things to our team.”
She was able to hold down the defensive line as a centerback in the first before sliding over to the left once Jorelyn Carabali entered the game in the 46th minute.
Davis made four recoveries and eight clearances.
The Comeback
Aïssata Traoré came in for Gutierres in the 63rd minute and provided some hope during stoppage time.
Traoré received a ball from Stevens in the box, but her chance was blocked. Josefine Hasbo went for a shot on the deflection, which was denied by NC goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, but the Malian was able to get her foot on the rebound and tap it into the net.
The referee immediately called it off for a foul in the lead up. After a four-minute VAR review, the goal was given.
Aïssata Traoré scores a late goal for Boston! 💪
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) August 22, 2026 at 9:39 PM
[image or embed]
Traoré said she was just “lucky” when describing the play after the match.
“It's not lucky,” Stevens added afterward. “She's relentless, and she's been like this our whole season and stepped up when a lot of us have been injured or couldn't. It's not lucky.”
Traoré now leads the team with six goals. This was also the fifth goal Boston has recorded during second half stoppage time, a testament to the team’s fight and resiliency.
Own Worst Enemy
What was supposed to be six minutes of added time at the end of the match turned into 19, and the 1-1 draw was short-lived.
Five minutes after the Legacy goal was allowed, St-Georges fouled NC’s Maycee Bell in the box. VAR suggested a review after no foul was called, and the referee awarded a penalty kick shortly after.
Sanchez converted the penalty, earning a brace and becoming the league’s leading goalscorer with 13 goals.
Boston’s poor decision-making has resulted in eight penalties awarded to its opponents, and Saturday’s marked the seventh penalty the team has conceded.
“[It’s] unfortunate to give something up late, but it's football, it's life, it happens,” Stevens said postgame. “And they put it away, it was a good penalty.”
The mistakes have been costly for the group, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better. BLFC has given up three penalties in its last four games. For a team that has struggled to earn points in its inaugural season, Boston has lost out on at least seven points thanks to conceded penalties (three losses, two draws in which the PK could have been the deciding factor).
When asked how this has been addressed with the team, Patão says there are greater things to worry about.
“Right now is not the moment to address that, we have other things to focus on,” she told The Blazing Musket. “These are situations inside the box, individual situations. I cannot address the team in a collective way, I can only address the players individually, inside the box, the way they need to defend and the way that they need to protect themselves in that situation.”
The Legacy will return to Gillette Stadium on Monday, August 31 to face Angel City FC.
