By OkayGoal 
Week 11 saw the Courage win again despite losing their MVP candidate, Mallory Swanson looking like a star (as opposed to a Star), and a teenage keeper blank the league champions.
Here are 11 thoughts from the weekend. We’ll do this every Monday following NWSL match weeks. Some points will be factual, some will be opinion based. And some will just be random statements or observations. Let’s dig in!
I. Courage keep rolling without Manaka
The Courage did not look worse-for-wear at the start of life without Manaka Matsukubo. Ashley Sanchez’ remarkable season continued with another brace (even if the first goal should have been an own goal off of Jordyn Bugg) and the Courage shook off an early goal to roll the Reign, 3-1. Sanchez even showed off her defensive chops, winning a ball in pressure to create one of her goals. Evelyn Ijeh’s was the accessory in the Sanchez steal and score and continues to look more comfortable after a slow start. It was the Courage’s fourth straight win.
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