NWSL Challenge Cup Preview: Quarterfinals
We’ve officially arrived at the knockout stage of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. Tomorrow, North Carolina Courage will face Portland Thorns FC in the first quarterfinal before Houston Dash and Utah Royals FC battle after an opening match draw. On Saturday, Washington Spirit try to keep a positive summer going when they take on Sky Blue FC and OL Reign and Chicago Red Stars prepare for a defensive showdown in the nightcap. (Injury reports will be updated the day of each match)
#1 North Carolina Courage vs. #8 Portland Thorns FC
(Today, 12:30 PM ET/9:30 AM PT, live on CBS All-Access)
Things went very differently in the round-robin stage for these two perennial NWSL powers. The two-time reigning champs, North Carolina, swept through their four matches with all wins. They dictate the tempo and it’s only a matter of time before they take advantage of a chance, as Meg Linehan wrote for The Athletic. Debinha has been electric in the tournament and Jaelene Daniels is providing great service and attacking threat from her left-back spot. Up top, Lynn Williams is doing her duty by finding the net in different ways and has been willing to run at defenders and create for herself if needed.
On the other hand, Portland didn’t win a single match in the preliminary round. They played admirably vs. the Courage on Matchday 1, then played to a scoreless draw against a completely rotated Chicago lineup. They had competitive matches vs. the Spirit and OL Reign, but they just can’t seem to put it together in the final third. Christine Sinclair has been pushing a lot of the action in the attack, but she has no goals or assists to show for it. Lindsey Horan’s been the best player in the tournament, but she’s banged up with a hip injury and needs some help from the players around her.
Preliminary Round Recap
North Carolina
W, 2-1 vs. POR
W, 2-0 vs. WAS
W, 1-0 vs. CHI
W, 2-0 vs. NJ
Portland
L, 2-1 vs. NC
D, 0-0 vs. CHI
D, 1-1 vs. WAS
D, 0-0 vs. RGN
Last Time They Met
Matchday 1 of the NWSL Challenge Cup
North Carolina Courage 2, Portland Thorns FC 1
Goalscorer(s): Debinha and Williams for NC, Charley for POR
Key Stats
North Carolina
Seven goals scored, one goal conceded, 49% avg. possession, 44 shots (21 on goal), 40 c0rner kicks (20 more than 2nd place)
Portland
Two goals scored, three goals conceded, 53% avg. possession, 39 shots (15 on goal), 19 successful crosses (tied for most in the tournament)
Player to Watch
North Carolina
Lynn Williams: While there are some great chance creators on this club like Debinha or Jaelene Daniels, Williams is the chance finisher. She led the preliminary round in goals with three and added an assist.
Portland
Lindsey Horan: She did virtually everything for the Thorns so far in the tournament. Against the Courage, Horan will need to dictate the pace in the middle of the park and establish some physicality. She’s listed as questionable with the hip injury, but I’d expect she won’t miss an elimination match unless it’s a worse injury than we know of.
Injury Report
North Carolina
OUT: Mathias (knee), Watt (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: Labbe (general medical)
Portland
OUT: Franch (knee), Sauerbrunn (hip), Smith (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: Bixby (knee), Horan (hip), Menges (calf)
#2 Washington Spirit vs. #7 Sky Blue FC
(Tomorrow, 12:30 PM ET/9:30 AM PT, live on CBS All-Access)
A win over the Dash gave Washington the second spot on the table, which makes sense because they were considered by most the second-best team through a lot of this tournament. With an exciting young core that features Rose Lavelle, Ashley Sanchez, Bayley Feist, and Ashley Hatch, the Spirit can be fun to watch in the attack. On the other end, Sam Staab has been a breakout performer playing with Tori Huster, Paige Nielsen, and Tegan McGrady on the backline in front of 2019 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, Aubrey Bledsoe. If Lavelle is healthy, Washington’s movement off the ball combined with their runs on the ball should be able to overcome the loss of Andi Sullivan to a meniscus tear.
With the fewest shots of any club so far, offense is where Sky Blue FC’s struggles lie. They are missing Carli Lloyd and Mallory Pugh and they’ve stuck with Midge Purce, who scored efficiently in the attack for Portland last season, at right-back. Ifeoma Onumonu and Jennifer Cudjoe have played above expectations for the most part, but there needs to be more creativity and energy in the attack for Sky Blue FC when they face Washington.
Preliminary Round Recap
Washington
W, 2-1 vs. CHI
L, 2-0 vs. NC
D, 1-1 vs. POR
W, 1-0 vs. HOU
Sky Blue
D, 0-0 vs. RGN
L, 1-0 vs. UTA
W, 2-0 vs. HOU
L, 2-0 vs. NC
Last Time They Met
July 24th, 2019
Washington Spirit 1, Sky Blue FC 0
Goalscorer(s): Ashley Hatch
Key Stats
Washington
Four goals scored, four goals conceded, 51% avg. possession, 33 shots (20 on goal), 87% passing in own half
Sky Blue
Two goals scored, three goals conceded, 53% avg. possession, 19 shots (nine on goal), two clean sheets
Player to Watch
Washington
Rose Lavelle: Sky Blue FC have been pretty stout defensively and Lavelle will need to use her ability to dribble at defenders and create space for runs by Hatch and others in the attack. Without Sullivan, she may need to pick up some all-around work, too.
Sky Blue
Kailen Sheridan: The attack has been far from consistent in this tournament, but Sky Blue FC’s star keeper has kept them in some matches. Out of the 17 shots she has faced, Sheridan has saved 14 of them. If she can keep things close, anything can happen in knockout soccer.
Injury Report
Washington
OUT: Scarpa (adductor), Sullivan (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: None
Sky Blue
OUT: Dydasco (knee), Lloyd (knee), Pugh (hip), Tiernan (ankle), Wright (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: Eddy (hamstring), Monaghan (knee), Purce (knee)
#3 OL Reign vs. #6 Chicago Red Stars
(Tomorrow, 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, live on CBS All-Access)
OL Reign hold the unfortunate distinction of being the lowest-scoring side in the NWSL Challenge Cup thus far. But, that makes their third-place finish even more impressive. They kept three clean sheets in four matches and Bethany Balcer was the hero in their lone win vs. Utah. In their Cascadia Rivalry draw vs. Portland, they often sat deep and defended. They did get a boost from the return of Jess Fishlock, who could be a gamechanger.
Nobody should be shocked that Chicago miss Sam Kerr in a massive way. She led the NWSL in scoring last season and without her, the Red Stars have been searching for a spark offensively. They have Casey Short that can get forward from the backline and the pace and skill of Kealia Ohai, but that hasn’t led to much in front of goal. On paper, this match looks like it will be a defensive battle and big-game players like Julie Ertz can always tip the edge in your favor. The Red Stars will need to overcome the injury absences of Tierna Davidson, Morgan Gautrat, Yuki Nagasato.
Preliminary Round Recap
Reign
D, 0-0 vs. NJ
L, 2-0 vs. HOU
W, 1-0 vs. UTA
D, 0-0 vs. POR
Chicago
L, 2-1 vs. WAS
D, 0-0 vs. POR
L, 1-0 vs. NC
W, 1-0 vs. UTA
Last Time They Met
July 28th, 2019
Chicago Red Stars 4, Reign FC 0
Goalscorer(s): DiBernardo, Kerr, Nagasato, and Wright for CHI
Key Stats
Reign
One goal scored, two goals conceded, 52% avg. possession, 42 fouls committed (tied for most in the tournament), three clean sheets
Chicago
Two goals scored, three goals conceded, 49% avg. possession, 22 shots (eight on goal), 71.4% passing accuracy (second lowest in the tournament)
Player to Watch
Reign
Jess Fishlock: The key player for OL Reign only appeared as a substitute in their last match for 17 minutes as she recovered and got comfortable following an injury last season. But, Fishlock may be exactly what the club needs in the knockout stage with her ability to create goals, either for herself or her teammates (Three goals, one assist, nine key passes in five NWSL matches in 2019).
Chicago
Kealia Watt: Expected to boost the attack this summer, Watt has not been able to score or assist in her three appearances. She’s had opportunities, tallying seven total shots with one on target, but she will need to contribute from her wide position to make energize a sluggish attack for the Red Stars (fewest shots on target in the tournament).
Injury Report
Reign
OUT: Hedge (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: Andrews (ankle), Long (lower leg)
Chicago
OUT: Davidson (lower leg), Gautrat (leg), Mautz (knee), Nagasato (leg), Wright (postpartum)
QUESTIONABLE: Colaprico (ankle), Redei (hip)
#4 Houston Dash vs. #5 Utah Royals FC
(Today, 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, live on CBS All-Access)
Both of these sides had similar trajectories in this tournament. After playing to a 3-3 draw against one another, they would go on to win their next match before losing their final two. Houston was not expected to be a serious contender in this tournament, then they scored five goals in two matches and played some exciting soccer. The last two matches have lowered the expectation and optimism back down, but they could get hot again vs. the Royals and upset the hosts.
With only one goal in their final three matches, it’s not surprising that the absence of Christen Press has hurt the Utah attack. But, Vero Boquete can pull the strings from the midfield and it’s up to Amy Rodriguez, Brittany Ratcliffe, and exciting rookie Tziarra King to put the ball in the net. Royals FC has the third-most shots from the round-robin phase, which proves they can get to the spots but need to be more clinical.
Preliminary Round Recap
Houston
D, 3-3 vs. UTA
W, 2-0 vs. RGN
L, 2-0 vs. NJ
L, 1-0 vs. WAS
Utah
D, 3-3 vs. HOU
W, 1-0 vs. NJ
L, 1-0 vs. RGN
L, 1-0 vs. CHI
Last Time They Met
Matchday 1 of the NWSL Challenge Cup
Houston Dash 3, Utah Royals FC 3
Goalscorer(s): Daly (2) and Groom for HOU, Matheson, Boquete, and King for UTA
Key Stats
Houston
Five goals scored, six goals conceded, 45% avg. possession, 22 shots (ten on goal), 44 fouls won (most in the tournament)
Utah
Four goals scored, five goals conceded, 48% avg. possession, 37 shots (16 on goal), 42 fouls committed (tied for most in the tournament)
Player to Watch
Houston
Rachel Daly: The England international scored twice in the opener vs. Utah (should have been her first NWSL hat trick if not for a botched call), but she hasn’t tallied since. Her runs in behind help propel the Dash attack and she will need to be clinical when she gets her chances.
Utah
Vero Boquete: All tournament, she’s been sliding long passes in behind the opposing backline (two assists and eight key passes) and will look to continue creating chances for players like A-Rod in the attack. In the previous matchup vs. Houston, the Spanish star buried a free kick to pull a goal back in the eventual 3-3 draw.
Injury Report
Houston
OUT: None
QUESTIONABLE: None
Utah
OUT: Scott (personal)
QUESTIONABLE: None
