Legacy falls 2-1 to North Carolina after a late penalty.
Boston Legacy FC suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to the North Carolina Courage on Saturday in North Carolina. The Legacy fought back from an early deficit and appeared to have rescued a point with a stoppage-time equalizer, only to concede a penalty moments later.
North Carolina struck first in the 10th minute. Ashley Sanchez beat Boston goalkeeper Casey Murphy one-on-one before curling a shot around her to give the Courage a 1-0 lead. Boston created several chances of its own before halftime, including a promising opportunity involving Sammy Smith after a North Carolina goalkeeper error and a late cross from Annie Karich that nearly found Smith at the back post.
Boston made two changes at halftime, bringing on Josefine Hasbo and Jorelyn CarabalÃ. The Courage continued to pressure the Legacy early in the second half, but Murphy kept Boston in the match with several important saves.
The Legacy nearly found an equalizer in the 59th minute when Bianca St-Georges sent a dangerous cross toward Amanda Gutierres, whose header sailed just over the crossbar. Murphy then made back-to-back saves to keep the deficit at one.
Boston continued searching for a breakthrough and turned to its bench. Aïssata Traoré entered in the 63rd minute, followed by Ella Stevens and Nicki Hernandez in the 73rd. The changes eventually paid off in dramatic fashion.
In the second minute of stoppage time, Traoré pounced on a series of rebounds inside the box and poked the ball into the net. The goal survived a lengthy VAR review, giving Boston a 1-1 equalizer and appearing to put the Legacy on course for a hard-earned road point.
But the drama was not over.
After Alba Caño forced a save in the ninth minute of stoppage time, North Carolina won a penalty in the 12th minute of added time. Sanchez stepped up and converted, completing her brace and giving the Courage a 2-1 victory.
The numbers reflected North Carolina’s attacking pressure. The Courage outshot Boston 16-7 and held an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks, while Murphy finished with six saves. Boston managed three shots on target and two corners.
For the Legacy, the defeat was especially painful because of the late turnaround. After battling back from 1-0 down and scoring in the 90th minute, Boston was within seconds of leaving Cary with a draw. Instead, Sanchez’s penalty handed the Courage all three points.
Boston entered the match looking to rebound from a 4-1 loss at Racing Louisville on Aug. 15 and will now return home for its next match. The Legacy will host Angel City on Aug. 31, giving the team an opportunity to get back on their feet in front of their home supporters.
