Contributor: NWSL, Seattle Sounders FC, USWNT
By Abigail Gerken @abigailgerken22
It’s official. Soccer is back in the United States, and we cannot be more excited. The NWSL has announced the 25-game tournament “Challenge Cup” from June 27th – July 26th in Salt Lake City, Utah. Rosters will be finalized June 21st, the same day teams arrive in Utah.
It is not the type of season we were expecting, but the NWSL and the Players Association have worked hard to come to an agreement to get our teams back on the pitch. By having all of the games in one central hub, every player will stay in an Olympic-style village.
All of the games can be found in one convenient location, CBS All-Access. All games will be available via stream, with CBS broadcasting the opening game and final, nationwide. For our friends outside the US and Canada, games will be available on Twitch.
The thought of such a tournament taking place over just 30 days sounds a little overwhelming, but let’s break it down:
- Each of the league’s nine clubs will play four games each to determine seeding.
- The top eight teams will move to quarterfinals.
- Teams are knocked out until the final game.
- In total there will be 25-games.
On Monday June 1st the NSWL held the drawing for the tournament, determining the preliminary schedule. It is as follows:
June 27th:
Chicago Red Stars vs Orlando Pride
NC Courage vs Portland Thorns
June 30th
WashingtonSpirit vs Utah Royals
OL Reign vs Sky Blue FC
July 1st
Portland Thorns vs Orlando Pride
NC Courage vs Houston Dash
July 4th
Chicago Red Stars vs Utah Royals
Washington Spirit vs OL Reign
July 5th
NC Courage vs Orlando Pride
Houston Dash vs Sky Blue FC
July 8th
Washington Spirit vs Portland Thorns
Utah Royals vs OL Reign
July 9th
Orlando Pride vs Sky Blue FC
Chicago Red Stars vs Houston Dash
July 12th
Utah Royals vs NC Courage
Portland Thorns vs OL Reign
July 13th
Chicago Red Stars vs Sky Blue FC
Washington Spirit vs Houston Dash
Stay tuned for more NWSL coverage throughout this tournament!
Featured image: @NWSL
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