North Carolina Courage Beat Denver Summit 2-0 in Centennial

A second-half penalty followed by a late goal decided the match and leaves Denver further from the NWSL playoff picture.

Overview

Riley Jackson converted a 48th-minute penalty and Colorado native Ally Schlegel scored in the 81st minute to give North Carolina a 2-0 win.
Courage goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan made six saves to record her fifth clean sheet of the season and helped preserve the shutout.
Denver captain Lindsey Heaps was a late scratch after being listed in the starting lineup and the club has not offered an official explanation, though a team source told Denver7 her absence was not injury-related.
Local coverage noted the referee did not use VAR to review the penalty on Eva Gaetino’s foul, a decision that shaped the game’s momentum.
The loss leaves expansion Denver 11th with 20 points and adds pressure during a stretch of three games in seven days as the Summit and the Courage both prepare quick turnarounds for Saturday fixtures.