Seattle Reign FC had a short turnaround after their cold, rain-soaked game in New Jersey on Sunday, heading straight to North Carolina to face the league-leading Courage in their third match of the season on Wednesday. The weather was much better for this game, but injuries, absences for international duty and fatigue led to a dreary performance that could have ended much worse than the 1-0 scoreline might suggest.
With a short bench and facing a dangerously speedy and tall Courage attack, Vlatko Andonovski tried something new in this game, shifting Seattle to a 4-2-3-1 formation to provide additional defensive support.