North Wake News

The North Carolina Courage has announced a contract extension with forward Manaka Matsukubo, securing her services through the 2026 NWSL season. The club exercised their option to purchase Matsukubo's contract outright last June after a year-long loan from Mynavi Sendai.

In 2024, Matsukubo made significant contributions both for her club and on the international stage. She scored two goals and provided one assist while creating 15 chances in over 1,000 minutes during the NWSL regular season. Internationally, she led Japan to a silver medal at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, scoring three goals and earning three Player of the Match awards. Her performance earned her the tournament's Silver Ball as the second-best player and led to her first senior call-up to the Japanese national team in October.

Head Coach Sean Nahas expressed his enthusiasm about Matsukubo's extension: “Signing Manaka to an extension is great for us. She is an extremely talented young player who is truly just getting started and we are excited she will continue developing with us in North Carolina. She’s a spry, technically savvy, and intelligent player who can change the game in an instant. The trust she has shown in our club and staff is greatly appreciated and we love the fact she wants to stay in Courage country. We look forward to seeing her continue to grow and shine inside the lines.”

Since joining Cary on loan in July 2023, Matsukubo has proven herself as a key player for the Courage. She made an immediate impact by scoring a decisive goal in the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup shortly after joining the team. In total, she has five goals and two assists across 30 appearances for the Courage.