North Carolina Courage defender Merritt Mathias aired out some of her frustrations with her club on Sunday as she reflected on a tumultuous period for the Courage that has appeared to drive some fans away.
The Courage drew a season-high 6,070 fans at WakeMed Soccer Park in a 1-0 defeat to the San Diego Wave, with the game’s only goal scored by Alex Morgan.
The attendance boost was notable for Mathias, who was under no illusions as to why more fans than normal were in the stands.
“The fan support has wavered,” Mathias told the media in comments documented by reporter Nicholas Schnittker. “It isn’t a coincidence that Alex Morgan is playing and there are 6,000 people that are here. Previous games, the fan support has wavered and there are reasons for that.
“And there are reasons why people aren’t here and haven’t wanted to spend their money or beliefs and that is up to them. If this gets out there, I am a part of the community that has struggled with some of the choices that this club has made. They’ve made it very clear.”
A difficult year for the Courage
In the fall, a report in The Athletic featured on-record accusations of sexual coercion against Courage coach Paul Riley, who was quickly ousted from his position.
Courage owner Steve Malik was put on the defensive after Riley was fired, saying in an open letter that the club conducted “due diligence” when Riley was brought to North Carolina in 2017 and that the club had no knowledge of any alleged inappropriate behavior.
Malik did apologize for a “failure to create an environment where players feel safe and comfortable coming forward.”
Two months later the Courage would again be apologizing to their fans, many of whom were outraged when the club re-signed defender Jaelene Daniels.
Daniels made headlines when, citing her Christian faith, she refused a U.S. national team call-up in 2017 because the team was wearing rainbow-themed jerseys for LGBTQ Pride Month.
“In response to the recent news of re-signing Jaelene Daniels, we as a club acknowledge the impact this announcement has on our community,” the Courage said in December in an open letter to fans. “We’ve spent the past few days reading your messages and reflecting on our actions. We are very sorry to all those we have hurt, especially those within the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Daniels, however, was kept on the roster.
Mathias addresses Daniels decision
Mathias was asked how she felt the club could win fans back and addressed the controversial re-signing of Daniels during her answer.
“My personal opinion is that, from a player standpoint, the voices that have been heard have been from the front office,” Mathias said. “There’s been a very particular voice that has been heard in wanting to support the community. And personally, I don’t think we’ve done a great job of that in the past years. And that is fair. I don’t think that has been any secret.
“We didn’t have a Pride Night for three years, we didn’t wear a jersey. Everyone knows all these things and I think bringing back Jaelene was a decision made by the club and as a player who is part of the community, you have to work through those struggles but that is what a team is about. You have to be able to embrace people of all different religions, of all different views, of all different backgrounds.
“For me, I think it is really important that we have a voice as much as the club. That there is a group here that truly, truly loves and supports and is here for the LGBTQ community. I think that is a really important message to get out there, because we definitely miss you guys. We definitely miss our fans. They are a huge, huge reason why we were so successful for so many years. The way they had our back and the support we had day-in and day-out. I hope putting a good product on the field gets people back, but also knowing that you’re loved and believed in.
“From a team standpoint, we love and believe in our fans. For sure. We know how important they are and we definitely miss them. It is still a long season. Hopefully we can get a product out there that is winning and we are proud of. But I think this is a group that fans can be really proud of. For what they stand for and just the entertainment factor that they have and the beliefs that they have and the people that they are. If you don’t like one player, then there are 25, 26 other ones to choose from. Find someone you love.”
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