NWSL: The 2020 Challenge Cup Preview
By Drew Hubbard
The NWSL 2020 Challenge Cup commences this weekend. Here is a full preview of the competitions, including an outlook for each team’s chances.
Previous previews of the National Women’s Soccer League 2020 Challenge Cup were done under the pretense that all nine teams would be there. At the time, it was not known which players would be reporting to the tournament in Utah either. And so, with more information, we thought it would be best to
This week, it was confirmed that the Orlando Pride have decided to not travel to the Challenge Cup due to multiple members of the team and staff testing positive for COVID-19. Losing the Pride has caused the NWSL to change each team’s schedule and every team will be making the knockout round with only eight teams participating.
The competition kicks off on Saturday with the North Carolina Courage taking on the Portland Thorns and the Chicago Red Stars playing the Washington Spirit. With that in mind, and with rosters submitted and schedules finalized, here is an updated outlook on each team’s 2020 Challenge Cup.
Chicago Red Stars
The Chicago Red Stars may have had the biggest change in luck with the new scheduling. Chicago’s four games include the Washington Spirit, Portland Thorns, North Carolina Courage and Utah Royals. Previously, they were set to play the worst four teams from the 2019 season, now they face the two-time defending champions and another 2019 playoff side in Portland.
Apart from the offseason loss of Sam Kerr — the league leader in goals — to Chelsea, this Red Star roster is very similar to what fans saw in 2019. Last year’s league-leader in assists, Yuki Nagasato, will report with multiple USWNT players including Julie Ertz, Tierna Davidson and others. Davidson, Ertz and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher will solidify the defense, while Nagasato will try to quickly form a partnership with newly acquired Kealia Ohai Watt from Houston.
Losing a player like Kerr would hurt any attack, but the Red Stars have championship aspirations after last year’s loss in the final, and with a strong squad reporting, they look set to make a deep run in the competition.
Washington Spirit
Similar to Chicago, the Washington Spirit’s draw put a harder road ahead of them before the knockout round. Washington will play the Chicago Red Stars, North Carolina Courage, Portland Thorns and Houston Dash. The Spirit were already set to play Houston and Portland before the change, but Carolina and Chicago make the stretch much more difficult.
The good news for the Spirit is that the whole team is reporting, which means the midfield trio of Rose Lavelle, Andi Sullivan and Jordan DiBiasi will get the chance to play together. Part of their task in the middle will be to give service to forward Ashley Hatch, who led the team with seven goals in 2019.
Defensively, the Spirit have Aubrey Bledsoe who was tied for the most saves in 2019 behind center-back pairing Paige Nielsen and Sam Staab. The Spirit have a young team that is ready to take the next step toward winning a championship. This year could be their time to shine.