NWSL Weekly - Friday Edition, July 17, 2020
Playoff soccer is upon us; the Challenge Cup Quarterfinals are here!
It’s that time, friends. Playoff soccer. Quarterfinals. The NWSL Challenge Cup gets serious.
Four teams will be sent home by Sunday morning. That’s a hard thought to stomach after the brief amount of time we got to enjoy watching these eight teams (and Orlando Pride in our hearts) compete. Who knows what the rest of the year holds. I want to believe we might get to see more women’s soccer in 2020, but it just doesn’t seem feasible (or a very good idea) given the current state of America.
We must cherish these quarterfinal games for what they are - likely our last opportunity to see these teams and players until next year.
Below you’ll find quarterfinal previews, some of the news and stories you may have missed since the last games, and a very important top stories section that touches on mental health during the Challenge Cup.
As always, be sure to click all the links and if you’re able to, subscribe to the publications with content behind a paywall (The Equalizer has a deal going right now and The Athletic often does as well).
Top Stories
A big focus of many stories and commentary this week has been on the mental health of NWSL athletes and the toll of being in the tournament “bubble.” Even in a more normal situation a month-long soccer tournament would be physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing. What these athletes are experiencing in the Challenge Cup is far from normal and is a truly unique experience that can only be understood by those living it. The outside world is more or less falling apart while these players are isolated from family, friends, and even each other, unable to interact directly with anyone beyond their own teammates and staff. Add to that the usual pressures to win and perform well (with US Women’s National Team coach Vlatko Adonovski watching in the stands) all while following strict guidelines to avoid contracting and spreading COVID-19, and it’s no wonder that players are experiencing a variety of emotions and reacting to the environment in different ways.
What the players, team staff, venue operators, league officials, and every person involved in making this tournament function have put themselves up to is something to be admired. While we revel in their on the field accomplishments, it is important to consider what happens off the field and behind the scenes that we don’t see and can never fully know. It is important to listen to their words whether they speak on mental health, social justice, equal pay, or the quality of their living and travel conditions. It is important to show them empathy and to provide a safe space for them to speak up and speak out.
OL Reign’s Bethany Balcer did just that on Monday after coming out of the game early against Portland. Read her words below and the pieces that follow.
NWSL players, staff grapple with mental health challenges of isolated tournament (Bria Felicien, The Equalizer)
The physical and mental toll of the Challenge Cup’s preliminary round (Meg Linehan, The Athletic)
Living in a hotel for a month would kinda suck (Kim McCauley, All for XI)
NWSL Challenge Cup
After sixteen games, the quarterfinals are here! We get playoff soccer today and tomorrow, folks, and I am very excited. It’s win or go home now, so expect the intensity level to increase a few notches. Every team has something to prove and this may be their last chance of 2020 to do so.
I am trying not to think about how sad I will be when this tournament comes to an end next weekend. The NWSL did something really special with the Challenge Cup and I hope in future years they’re able to incorporate some type of mid-season tournament format. But for now it is time to live in the present and get prepped for the next four games.
Current Standings
Unsurprisingly, the Courage finished the preliminary round at the top of the table. Late-game heroics from Casey Short against the Royals last Sunday night gave the Red Stars the boost they needed to avoid the 8-seed which falls to the Thorns. We’ll get a rematch of the goal-fest that was the Royals-Dash opener in the second quarterfinal game, while Chicago and OL Reign will meet for the first time this tournament as will Sky Blue and Washington.
The Bracket
(Image source: NWSL)
Quarterfinals - Friday, July 17th
12:30PM ET - #1 North Carolina Courage (4-0-0) vs #8 Portland Thorns FC (0-1-3)
Match Previews:
North Carolina Courage vs Portland Thorns Preview (Sandra Herrera, CBS Sports)
Quarterfinal Preview: Portland Thorns vs. North Carolina Courage (Grant Little, Stumptown Footy)
NC Courage vs Portland Thorns FC: The knockout round begins with familiar foes (Aaron Bellamy)
10:00PM ET - #4 Houston Dash vs #5 Utah Royals FC
Match Previews:
Houston Dash vs Utah Royals Preview (Sandra Herrera, CBS Sports)
Utah Royals FC Enters Knockout Stage of 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup (RSL Communications)
Quarterfinals - Saturday, July 18th
12:30PM ET - #2 Washington Spirit (2-1-1) vs #7 Sky Blue FC (1-2-1)
Match Previews:
Check CBS Sports later in the day for previews
10:00PM ET - #3 OL Reign (1-1-2) vs #6 Chicago Red Stars (1-2-1)
Match Previews:
Check CBS Sports later in the day for previews
All quarterfinal and semifinal games air on CBS All Access (US & Canada) and Twitch for international viewers. The championship will air on CBS and CBS All Access (US & Canada) and Twitch for international viewers. Game replays air on CBS Sports Network.
The semifinals will be played on Wednesday, July 22nd at 12:30PM ET and 10PM ET with the championship game concluding the tournament on Sunday, July 26th at 12:30PM ET.
Match Recaps
Sun. July 12th - Washington Spirit 1, Houston Dash 0
Washington Spirit hang on to 1-0 NWSL Challenge Cup victory over Houston Dash (Jason Anderson, Black and Red United)
Sun. July 12th - Chicago Red Stars 1, Utah Royals FC 0
Utah give Chicago Red Stars first win in NWSL Challenge Cup group stage (Megan Webb, RSL Soapbox)
Getting It Done: Strong Defense And Late Header Give Red Stars 1-0 Win Over Royals (TJ Zaremba, Hot Time in Old Town)
Red Stars get first Challenge Cup win vs Royals (Sandra Herrera, CBS Sports)
Mon. July 13th - OL Reign 0, Portland Thorns FC 0
OL Reign battle Portland Thorns to 0-0 draw (Steve Voght, Ride of the Valkyries)
Cascadia Rivalry ends in 0-0 Draw (Grant Little, Stumptown Footy)
Mon. July 13th - North Carolina Courage 2, Sky Blue FC 0
League-wide News and Stories
Quarterfinals lookahead: Biggest storylines (Sandra Hererra, CBS Sports)
Parent life in the NWSL Challenge Cup bubble (Kim McCauley, All for XI)
Why NWSL’s ‘foundational’ statement on Pride matters right now (Meg Linehan)
CBS “thrilled” with NWSL Challenge Cup (Bob Williams, Sport Business)
For USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski, the NWSL Challenge Cup is part yearning, part goldmine (Caitlin Murray, Yahoo Sports)
Parenting in the Bubble: ‘This Is Mom’s Job. You Have to Work With Me.’ (Molly Hensley-Clancy, NY Times)
NWSL FANS ARE ONLINE, ORGANIZED, AND REFUSE TO BE IGNORED (Nicole Wetsman, The Verge)
Team and Athlete Highlights
Washington Spirit lose Andi Sullivan to torn meniscus (Jason Anderson, Black and Red United)
Chicago Red Stars players set donations around in-game activity for upcoming Challenge Cup match (Matthew Levine, NWSL)
Diana Matheson opens up on pushing through injury doubts, growing women’s soccer (Harjeet Johal, The Equalizer)
Crystal Dunn and Brianna Pinto talk about being Black soccer players (Stephanie Yang, SB Nation)
Reign’s Michelle Betos made her return from injury at NWSL Challenge Cup — if only her father could have seen it (Jayda Evans, The Seattle Times)
The Houston Dash Have Something To Prove (Bria Felicien, Five Thirty Eight)
5 YOUNG PLAYERS TO WATCH IN THE CHALLENGE CUP KNOCKOUT ROUNDS (Just Women’s Sports)
RACHEL DALY ON THE HOUSTON DASH’S ‘DO OR DIE’ MENTALITY (Just Women’s Sports)
If you’d like to chat all things NWSL or share any important stories I missed, you can find me on Twitter here - @CWxSports.
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