Manaka Matsukubo and Brianna Pinto scored in the first 20 minutes and the North Carolina Courage registered their first victory in seven matches, topping Angel City FC 2-1 on Saturday at Cary, N.C.
The Courage (6-7-7, 25 points) have defeated Angel City twice this year by 2-1 scores.
Sveindis Jonsdottir scored in the 88th minute for Angel City (6-9-5, 23 points). It was her first goal in seven matches this year.
Marisa Bova made two saves for North Carolina. Angelina Anderson stopped five shots for Angel City, which has gone back-to-back matches without a point following a four-match points streak.
Matsukubo’s sixth goal came in the sixth minute off an assist from Payton Linnehan, giving her two goals in a four-match stretch. Matsukubo’s shot from the right side went into the left-side of the net.
Pinto posted her third goal of the year, a sequence aided when the ball bounced off an Angel City player before Pinto booted it into the net.
–Field Level Media