Chicago Stars will try to stop their slide when they host North Carolina Courage in NWSL regular season action on Sep. 6, 2026 at 4:00 PM. The meeting lands with Chicago in 16th place and North Carolina sitting seventh, making it a game with very different stakes for both sides.
That is why the fixture is drawing attention now. Chicago Stars have not won any of their last five league games, and Martin Sjoegren’s side arrives after a 6-1 defeat to Denver Summit FC on August 30. North Carolina Courage, by contrast, have won three and lost two of their last five NWSL outings, which is enough to keep them in the middle of a crowded chase for position.
The recent results tell the story in full. Chicago have beaten Racing Louisville 3-2 on August 23, drawn 0-0 with Bay FC on August 9 and lost 5-0 to Houston Dash on August 20, while scoring four goals and conceding 14 across their last five games. The defeat to Denver only deepened that run, and it left the Stars needing a response at home against a team above them in the table.
North Carolina arrive with a different kind of momentum, even if their last two outings pulled in opposite directions. They beat Angel City FC 2-0 on August 27 before losing 3-2 to Kansas City Current on August 29. Mak Lind’s side also has no confirmed squad information at this stage, and no injuries, suspensions or projected XI have been announced for North Carolina Courage.
Chicago are no better off on the team-news front. Sjoegren has no confirmed injury or suspension news available ahead of the fixture, which means the match will begin with both sides still holding back their final selection plans. The absence of a probable lineup leaves the game open to late changes, but it does not change the shape of the task in front of Chicago: they need points, and they need them now.
The match is available to watch live in the United States, and the next confirmed moment is the kickoff itself. For Chicago Stars, that whistle on Sep. 6 at 4:00 PM is the chance to slow a damaging run. For North Carolina Courage, it is a chance to turn a solid season position into something more secure.
