The NC Courage debuted in 2018 looking for redemption against the Portland Thorns after losing the last match between the teams in the NWSL Championship. On a cold and rainy day in Cary each team had plenty of chances as it looked like the backlines were still shaking off of the rust from preseason. The Courage seemed to be the better side throughout the match, but only managed one goal for their efforts. In the end that would be enough as the earned their first win of the season.
North Carolina came out in a 4-4-2 diamond, at least according to the lineup graphic, with Crystal Dunn taking a role on the wing to begin the year and both Debinha and Denise O’Sullivan sharing the field.