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11 major talking points ahead of the 2023 NWSL season – Equalizer Soccer

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Photo Copyright Geoff Burke for USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 National Women’s Soccer League season kicks off on Saturday, and with it comes an amalgamation of excitement and question marks.

To get you ready for the year ahead — as the NWSL officially turns 10 years old on the field — we break down 11 big talking points to watch.

VAR: Video Assistant Referees join the fold

Saturday’s season kickoff will feature the debut of VAR (Video Assisted Referee) which will help further bring the NWSL into the modern era. What will this mean? At its best, it will mean awarding penalties for obvious handballs the referee misses, and the end of penalties called for phantom handballs (hello Becky Sauerbrunn on 2018 opening weekend). And at some point, a call that would have been incorrect that truly changes a game or season will be made right.

At worst, VAR will mean some lengthy delays, subdued celebrations, and some goals called back for offside based on the narrowest of margins. And at some point, there will be a VAR call that does not have universal agreement, even among experts.

One thing to get out of the way now is that with VAR comes delayed offside flags. The idea is sound, because you can call a goal back but you cannot reinstate a play once it gets blown dead. So, keep that in mind the first few times the flag looks like it came in very late.

The World Cup bump

It is indisputable that every World Cup has resulted in a bump to the domestic leagues here in the United States. That includes WPS and Major League Soccer. It will be difficult to match the excitement of the last two tournaments, especially with this one happening at awkward hours for Americans.

On the flip side, access to global women’s soccer has exploded since 2019, giving fans more emotional ties to players from all over the world. That should lessen the burden on the United States to win it in order to maximize the impact.

The league just launched an ad campaign highlighting all of the global stars who ply their trade in NWSL. That’s a good start for a league that during the last two World Cups appeared to be somewhere between unaware and unprepared for their respective aftermaths.

The World Cup bump will happen. The questions are: How big will it be? And what will the lasting impact look like?

Media rights

This was discussed in an earlier column, but at this point, there is no logical reason for NWSL to pull the trigger on a new media deal until after the World Cup. That’s when the property will be hottest, and when it will be most evident that putting on a really good television show goes a long way toward making your league into a big deal.

Nothing on this front will have a direct impact on the 2023 season, but you never know if the next deal will be the one that vaults the league to the next level. Taking into account some of the issues discussed yesterday, NWSL should be as wellpositioned as it has ever been to make at least a medium-sized splash.

What will 2024 look like?

We already know that Utah Royals FC will rejoin the league as an expansion club in 2024. A Bay Area club is expected to be announced soon. There is also a Boston bid expected to be accepted but likely for 2025 or beyond. There are pending sales in Chicago and Portland.

The Royals and the Bay Area group have no doubt been working toward 2024 launches for some time, but it is still getting tight for a formal announcement on the second in order to have proper time to be truly ready. This is an issue that plagued NWSL early but has been better with prior expansion clubs in Louisville, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

The new teams will also require a tweak to the schedule—an increase to 26 matches under the same double-round-robin format seems logical—and possibly even the creation of divisions for the first time. It is not vital that this be set up ahead of the end of 2023, but it would be nice if it was.

As for the Red Stars and Thorns, it won’t be a good look if either sale lingers through the World Cup and NWSL Championship, especially if one of the teams is in the championship match. Getting the right fit is more important than fast-tracking the process, but also—it needs to get done.

Can we focus on soccer?

New ownership in Chicago and Portland is part of NWSL trying to move past heinous abuse scandals that surfaced in 2021 and dogged the league through the early part of 2023 when sanctions were announced. It will never be “over” as moving on requires work and vigilance. But at some point, it would be nice if the top headlines centered on soccer.

In 2022, two head coaches and an assistant were suspended and then fired as a result of issues brought up by the NWSL/NWSL PA Joint Investigation. Another head coach resigned after the season despite an investigation turning up no specific wrongdoing. These transgressions paled in comparison to the ones turned up in 2021 but that is still one-quarter of the league’s head coaches at this time a year ago having been caught up in it. How many will there be in 2023? We can only hope the answer is zero.

Attendance

Stats nerds like me in particular, love to focus on attendance. The league clearly feels this will be strong in 2023 with commissioner Jessica Berman touting in her press conference Monday that season-ticket sales have already surpassed 2022. And in case you forgot, 2022 ended with a bang when all four hosted playoff matches drew spectacular crowds ahead of a near-sellout at Audi Field for the NWSL Championship. (those numbers do not count for average attendance.)

For this year in particular there are a few spots worth watching. The most interesting to me is San Diego. The Wave were at 6,000-seat Torero Stadium until their final two games and a playoff match at Snapdragon Stadium. Those three games averaged more than 25,000. It will be interesting to see where the Wave land with a full season at Snapdragon.

Angel City burst on the scene and promptly unseated the Thorns as NWSL attendance queens. How they will do in year two will be fun to watch. As for the Thorns, they enter this season in a similar state of limbo with an ownership group the fans have rebelled against. How will that play out in 2023 and beyond?

NWSL Championship

I’ll keep saying it until it happens or the format changes, but I cannot believe the season is about to start and we don’t have a venue announced for the final. This really needs to start changing. As it stands, the league hasn’t actually formally committed to the predetermined format beyond this season, although Berman recently indicated it is likely to stay, calling the final the NWSL’s Super Bowl event. But truly making it such will require longer runways into the match and surrounding events.

If I had to bet on where I’ll be on Nov. 11, my money is on Los Angeles.  But don’t go booking any travel based on that, please.

Challenge Cup

The Challenge Cup has finally been put in its proper place on the calendar. The trick now is to convince fans of its importance, especially with so much of it happening while the World Cup players are absent. The format probably needs further tweaking, and bringing in teams from outside NWSL would be cool. For now though, we can look forward to April 19 when the fourth edition of the tournament will kick off.

What else do I need to know for 2023?

We have a few name changes for stadiums. Angel City now plays at BMO Stadium (was Banc of California) and the Dash now play at Shell Energy Stadium (was BBVA Stadium).

International viewers can now access matches through the league’s website, nwslsoccer.com through a new arrangement with Endeavor Streaming. International distributors DAZN and Tigo will also distribute matches in select countries. There is no more Twitch.

On the pitch, NWSL teams quietly opened the door for underage players to train with clubs and sign contracts. For this season, Chloe Ricketts, 15, signed with the Washington Spirit and the Wave have agreed with Melanie Barcenas, also 15. Angel City also had U-18 trialists in camp.

Elsewhere, some new names may actually be familiar players. Mallory Swanson (nee Pugh) is on the top of that list. Others include Haley McCutcheon (nee Hanson), Mandy Haught (nee McGlynn) and Katie Lind (nee Naughton).

And another cool note is that four players are in range to reach 200 regular season matches played this season. Lauren Barnes (189) leads McCall Zerboni (188) but Merritt Mathias (183) and Jess McDonald (178) are next in line.

Who will win the Shield?

For the second straight season, the playoff race figures to be wide open. Extended World Cup absences make handicapping things more difficult than usual. But I am picking the Wave to rise to the top in their second season. There will be some holes for sure over the summer, especially in central defense and goal, and they will be relying on Alex Morgan to stay healthy over the course of a very long season. But they are well coached and should be able to build well on what they started in 2022. The Wave also had a solid rookie class last season and I’d expect those players to keep getting better.

Here’s how I’m predicting the table to finish up:

1. Wave – see above

2. Current – ambitious owners have put together a top side

3. Reign – for the Reign and Laura Harvey, it’s all about the playoffs

4. Thorns – how much will a full year of Crystal Dunn help?

5. Gotham – roster is too good for a repeat of last year…right?

6. Spirit – Rodman, Sanchez, Parsons restore some order for ’21 champs

7. Angel City – would not surprise me if they wind up in the playoffs

8. Louisville – heading in the right direction for sure

9. Dash – did not improve roster enough after breakthrough season

10. Pride – the play hard for Hines, but just not good enough

11. Red Stars – just took too many roster hits to expect any more

12. Courage – were porous defensively before losing Erceg and Pickett

Who will win everything else?

I’ll take the Wave to win the double by beating the Current in the NWSL Championship—at their rival’s home grounds in Los Angeles.

I’m taking a shot with Angel City to win the Challenge Cup, though. They are tough to play against and should be solid during World Cup absences.

Also…

MVP – Debinha
Defender of the Year – Naomi Girma
Goalkeeper of the Year – Phallon Tullis-Joyce
Coach of the Year – Juan Carlos Amoros
Rookie of the Year – Michelle Cooper





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What Midge Purce’s ACL tear means for Gotham FC – Equalizer Soccer

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Midge Purce smiling with a medal around her neck as she wins the NWSL championship MVP trophy


(Photo credit: Amber Searls | USA TODAY Sports)

Midge Purce means so much to NJ/NY Gotham FC. From her MVP-winning performance in the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League championship to her frequent call-ups to the U.S. women’s national team, Purce is a star who brings her passion for the game to the equally passionate fans of the NJ/NY side.

With the announcement of Purce’s season-ending ACL injury Wednesday, Gotham is missing a crucial player on the roster, a forward who has dazzled fans with her dribbling, created chances, notched assists and scored goals.

Purce’s impact at Gotham (formerly Sky Blue FC) goes beyond what happens on the field. In fact, her impact at the club dates back to 2020, when her name first appeared on Sky Blue’s roster. A young Purce’s versatility and high ceiling tantalized fans, giving hope to a club that more often then not found itself at or near the bottom of the NWSL— and Purce delivered.

Since Purce joined Gotham, the club has made two NWSL Challenge Cup playoff runs, appeared in two Challenge Cup finals, made the NWSL postseason twice and won a coveted NWSL championship. Purce’s signing marked a new era for NJ/NY, and the loss of her this season will create a hole both in play and in leadership that the team will need to fill.

“On and off the field, she’s such a great leader,” said Jenna Nighswonger. “She’s such a great teammate and such a hard worker. Obviously, everyone’s gutted. We’re wishing her the best and hoping for the best recovery.”

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Royals maiden win had it all – Equalizer Soccer

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Utah rookie forward Ally Sentnor hugs a teammate after scoring her first professional goal.


Photo Copyright Rob Gray for USA TODAY Sports

Utah Royals FC head coach Amy Rodriguez said her players had a sour taste in their mouths on the heels of the franchise-christening, 2-0 loss to the Chicago Red Stars in Week 1.

“These guys had something to prove and they did that,” Rodriguez said following a much more fulfilling result last Friday, a 2-1 victory over the North Carolina Courage.

Any first win is special, but there was much to remember about this one. From Kate Del Fava’s first goal for the new Royals to the bizarre back-to-back penalties, and the debut goal of No. 1 overall pick Ally Sentnor, no one who witnessed the Royals win will soon forget it.

Sentnor, who turned 20 last month, was handed an acre of space by the Courage defense and took full advantage, racing to the top of the 18-yard box and uncorking a left-footed missile that found the far, upper 90. To say it beat Courage keeper Casey Murphy would be unfair considering the degree of difficulty of Sentnor’s shot. When it rattled the netting to give the Royals the 2-1 lead, Sentnor calmly turned around and looked at her teammates like she had already made that kind of magic hundreds of times.

“So I didn’t see Ally’s reaction but that does not surprise me at all,” Rodriguez said, later acknowledging she didn’t see it because she was busy celebrating herself. “It is rare to find someone as humble and hardworking as she is. And to score one of the best goals I have seen in a long time, it’s no surprise that she shrugged it off.

“I was elated obviously. There was no humbleness in that moment for me.”

“Honestly,” Sentnor said through laughs, “I’m not a big celebration person. I’m so happy though. I promise I’m so happy. All my teammates knew it was coming from a couple of shots in practices, and they were so happy for me and celebrating with me. Just to put us up in the game is such a great feeling. I’m just so proud of is and ready to score some more games hopefully.”

Sentnor’s contributions were not limited to the scoresheet. As the Royals absorbed late pressure from the Courage, Sentnor was a vital part of seeing out the game, fighting for loose balls in midfield and helping to hold possession.

Asked about the pressure of being not only the top pick in her draft class but the first for a new club, Sentnor deferred back to the team.


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“For me, it was mostly a pressure to help the team and a pressure to help perform for the team to win. I try not to put too much pressure on myself because I don’t play very well if I do. I’m really just trying to enjoy every moment and at the end of the day, I’m doing everything I can on the field to help my team excel.”

Sentnor’s goal may have led the highlight reels, but the second half-penalty sequence was the most unusual part of the night. It started in the 56th minute when the Courage press forced a turnover from Royals keeper Mandy Haught. Nirumi Miura fed Denise O’Sullivan, who in turn was taken down by Agnes Nyberg for a penalty. Malia Berkely, who scored from the spot in Week 1, stepped up again but hit the left post. The ball ricocheted wide where Ashley Sanchez and Addisyn Merrick went for it. Merrick fouled Sanchez and the Courage were right back at the spot. Berkely tried again, went the other way, and Haught made a clean save. The total elapsed time from the first foul, until Haught saved the second penalty, was about 3:05.

The only downside for the Royals was the injury to Imani Dorsey late in the 1st half. The former National Women’s Soccer League Rookie of the Year missed all of 2023 with Gotham while battling mental health issues. Now her 2024 season appears over due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Around the league

Red Stars 2, Reign 1

The Red Stars are 2-0-0 for the first time after knocking off the Reign in front of a likely opening-day crowd at SeatGeek Stadium. Mallory Swanson looked much sharper than in the opener though it was her teammates who again carried the scoring load. Julia Bianchi and Maximiliane Rall accounted for the goals, sandwiching Ji So-Yun’s sensational finish for the Reign.

Rall got on the end of a Taylor Malham cross, but it is fair to ask where the Reign defense was on the play. It looked more like confusion than organization and several players had palms up questioning teammates as Rall made her finish. Left-back Lily Woodham left her original mark to a center back but did not account for the space behind her and Rall ran in free where she scored her first NWSL goal.

The confusion was real but Reign coach Laura Harvey did have a point about the referee inadvertently running a pick for the Red Stars and blocking Angharad James-Turner from closing down Malham.

“How the refs allowed that second goal to happen when she literally ran straight into Haz (James-Turner) who then can’t stop the cross is mind-blowing,” Harvey said. “But we live and learn.”

The three-time NWSL Coach of the Year also said: “We took our foot off the gas again on the second goal.”

Pride 1, Angel City 1 

Marta hit her first non-penalty goal for the Pride since September 2021 to give the Pride a second consecutive come-from-behind draw. Angel City went ahead on Claire Emslie’s penalty early in the second half but literally did not mark Marta on an 88th-minute corner kick and she volleyed it home to secure the draw.

“I had good memories from when I was younger, like 20, 22,” Marta told Amazon’s Lianne Sanderson after the match. “I said ‘God let me have that feeling again.’ And we never give up. That was a hard game.” Marta missed the 2022 season with a torn ACL and all 4 of her goals last year were from the spot.

Last weekend in Louisville, the Pride fell behind 2-0 and equalized through Summer Yates in the 86th minute while playing with 10. Angel City, who have yet to score in the run of play, are winless through two regular season matches for the first time.

One moment I noticed came late in the first half. See above where Meggie Dougherty Howard (#8) loses the ball and then only halfheartedly tracks back as Marta runs into space and eventually distributes to the flank. The Pride did not get anything out of this sequence but that is a leak Angel City will want to clean up.

Dash 0, Louisville 0

The first scoreless draw of the season was not without its talking points, starting with Louisville’s lineup which saw Savannah DeMelo miss the match as a late scratch. Even without her, Racing had the better of the play. Jane Campbell made the best of her nine saves on Emma Sears, from point-blank range in the 73rd minute. In stoppage time, Campbell was beaten by Kayla Fischer and bailed out by Sarah Puntigam. The goal-line clearance was particularly difficult because Puntigam had to get her foot behind the ball since it was right on the edge of the goal line.

“I just saw I needed to get there somehow, it (didn’t) matter how,” Puntigam said. “It went so fast I had no time thinking. I just did something. I’m glad it worked out.”

The major talking point was in the 1st half when Campbell came out of her box to challenge Reiylln Turner. Turner stayed down after the contact, and with no defenders in site, a whistle would have resulted in a red card to Campbell. But nothing was called and the match continued.

Spirit 2, Bay 1

It was Draft Night at Audi Field. Croix Bethune, the No. 3 overall pick, scored in the 95th minute to give the Spirit their first win of the season. No. 5 pick Hal Hershfelt scored the equalizer. Bay had gone ahead through former Spirit defender Dorian Bailey.

Bethune enjoyed a strong match that had her in the crowd’s back pocket, including a chance to score late in the game that hit the crossbar. The winner was a thing of beauty as she turned on a flicked ball to evade Caprice Dydasco and Emily Menges. Ashley Hatch was nearby and shielded off Savannah King while tapping it back to Bethune for the finish. The flick was put on by Courtney Brown, the No. 49 pick.

King was selected No. 2 by Bay FC and made her second start at left-back. King struggled with Trinity Rodman which hardly makes her unusual. Rodman laid the ball off to Hershfelt for the first Spirit goal.

Wave 1, Current 2

The Vlatko Andonovski era in Kansas City is underway with victories against the two top-finishing teams from a year ago. This one was VAR-assisted after Christen Westphal clearly took down Bia entering the box but the call was missed in real time. Lo’eau LaBonta stepped up and drilled the tiebreaking penalty. LaBonta has been 7-for-9 from the spot in all competitions but one of the misses was a save by Wave keeper Kailen Sheridan in 2022. On the day, LaBonta went left and Sheridan dove to her right to save it. This time LaBonta went right and Sheridan went right again, leaving her helpless.

The Current saw the game out by keeping things packed defensively and held off the Wave. It was a far cry from Week 1 when they saw a 5-1 lead against the Thorns turn into a 5-4 nailbiter.

“Obviously, the end does turn into whoever can get a touch on the ball,” Izzy Rodriguez, who also scored for the Current, said. “But we knew who was going out for the ball, we were covering for each other. We were going hard into 50/50 battles. But all of us knew our jobs so that was the most important part.”

Sofia Jakobsson tallied for the Wave.

Thorns 0, Gotham 1

One of the more impressive NWSL streaks was snapped as the Thorns lost their home opener for the first time after winning their first 10. They also dropped to 0-2-0 for the first time while the NWSL champions opened their regular season with a win. Esther scored the goal with a clever run that saw her pull up inside the 18 while two Thorns defenders continued to move toward the goal line. Yazmeen Ryan evaded a double team and found the Spaniard in the pocket where she easily finished it. Twice it appeared Sophia Smith had given the Thorns a lead only have each celebration cut short for offside.

Talking points

  • After CPKC Stadium opened, Current coach Vlatko Andonovski said a member of his staff asked him how many NWSL venues he had coached in. We decided to look it up, and Saturday night Snapdragon Stadium became the 25th. Of those 25, there is only one where Andonovski has coached more than one game without a win. Children’s Mercy Park where FC Kansas City played one-off matches in 2015 and 2016, losing both.
  • Seattle Reign FC are being purchased by a group that includes the Carlyle Group and MLS’ Seattle Sounders FC. OL Groupe will sell its 97% stake for $58 million. The transaction is pending approval by both MLS and NWSL. OL Groupe majority owner John Textor remains the Reign’s Board of Governors representation.
  • NWSL and LIGA MX Feminil announced details of a Summer Cup that will pit all 14 NWSL clubs against six Mexican sides. Most of the competitions will happen in July and August during the Olympic break. The final will be held during a FIFA window at the end of October. See additional details and my thoughts on the event here.

Free kicks

  • Samantha Staab made her 92nd consecutive start on Saturday. If she appears for the Red Stars this weekend in Orlando, she will tie Amber Brooks’ league record for consecutive appearances at 93. Brooks held the mark for consecutive starts at 72 until Staab, then with the Spirit, broke it.
  • The NWSL has amended its yellow card rules to avoid double jeopardy when a player is shown two in the same game. Last season, Racing Louisville’s Savannah DeMelo was suspended for being sent off with two yellows and was later given an accumulation suspension with the first of those yellows included. Fortunately, that will never happen again.
  • Marta was highlighted above but it should be noted that at 38, she is still pretty good at this sport.
  • Kate Del Fava’s historic Royals goal was her second in the NWSL. Her first was for the Kansas City Current in the 2022 quarterfinals to beat the Houston Dash in the 10th minute of stoppage time. She sure makes them count!
  • Sydney Leroux stayed back in Los Angeles due to illness but was not listed on the league’s Availability Report. It kind of feels like there is no rhyme or reason to how teams use the report. A text to a league spokesperson seeking clarification was not returned.
  • Esther Gonzalez’s goal for Gotham was the 3,000th regular season goal in NWSL history.
  • The promotion of the ION Saturday night games is a bit odd to me as most of the buildup to this weekend focused on the early match between the Spirit and Bay FC. For some reason, it was rarely promoted as a doubleheader, which concluded with the Wave-Current match. We’ll see if this changes moving forward.
  • It has come to our attention that NWSL now recognizes the two forfeit games from 2021 on the official coaching records. That means Laura Harvey now has 98 wins and is in line to become the first coach to reach the century mark. Mark Parsons also has an extra win. They both come at the expense of Kris Ward who was Spirit coach at the time when they forfeited two games due to violations of COVID-19 protocols.
  • This past week, The Equalizer published this story about former Houston Dash assistant coach Matt Lampson and the reasons behind his firing. Unfortunately, the statement from the club, or lack thereof, shows that the lessons supposedly learned following the scandal-ridden fall of 2021 have not been heeded as much as we were led to believe. The club is under no obligation to mention any names or details but certainly could have confirmed (or denied for that matter) the reasons in Theo’s report for Lampson’s departure. And in fact, they should have gotten ahead of the story and put out a statement immediately upon parting ways.





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What to like, and not like, about the new NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup – Equalizer Soccer

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Graphic on a yellow backgrounds that reads 2024 NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Sumer Cup. There are also logos for each league.


Photo Copyright LIGA MX Femenil

The National Women’s Soccer League will not play regular season games during this summer’s Olympic break, but the league will not go completely dark either thanks to the announcement of the Summer Cup (formally the NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup). The 33-match event will include all 14 NWSL sides and the six top point-getters across Mexico’s Clausura and Apertura.

The five groups of four announced Wednesday will conduct a round-robin format between July 19 and Aug. 2 with the top four group winners advancing to the semifinals. The championship match will be held the weekend of Oct. 25-27 when both leagues are on another break for a standard FIFA window.

The tournament will mostly be held at NWSL venues in the United States. Angel City will host two matches at Titan Stadium and the Wave will host one at Torero Stadium. All three Washington Spirit matches are listed as TBD and the one all-Mexico match will be played south of the border. Information about the semifinals and final have not been announced.

Broadcast arrangements have not been announced either, which paints the Summer Cup in stark contrast to the Leagues Cup. In 2023, the first year of MLS’ Apple TV deal, the Leagues Cup was considered a major drawing card.

What to like

Getting American and Mexican teams together is always good for business as the Leagues Cup on the men’s side showed last year. Outside of a few token friendlies, this has not really happened yet, and with LIGA MX Femenil becoming established, it is a good time to start pushing the narrative.

Furthermore, it helps solve the forever debate about what to do with American soccer leagues and their summer schedules while the world—and many of the best players—are focused elsewhere. Some of the rosters, particularly on the NWSL side, will look a lot like they did in the summer of 2016, but at least it won’t be for games that count toward the regular season table.

Additionally, evening start times will not conflict with matches taking place in Paris, or any other live sports for that matter. (Conflicts with primetime Olympic programming, live or otherwise, is another story but also unavoidable.)


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What not to like

For one, the format is unacceptable. We can probably agree that no tournament or playoff format is without flaws, but there is a reasonable level of competitive integrity expected as a bare minimum. Playing a Cup competition with five groups and only advancing four teams to the semifinals does not meet that bare minimum. It means a team can literally win every match it plays and be sent packing without the opportunity to advance to the knockouts. That should never happen.

Sources have told The Equalizer that an earlier proposal for the Summer Cup included all LIGA MX Feminil clubs playing in smaller groups with a quarterfinal stage. It is unclear why that changed but it would have been a far more compelling tournament that way.

The tournament is also so top-heavy that 13 of the 30 group matches will be intra-league. Sixteen matches will be NWSL vs LIGA MX Femenil with one all-Mexican match between Tigres UANL and Pachuca.

Writer’s note: I’m probably in the minority but find the constant Reign-Thorns and Angel City-Wave “rivalry” games to be a bit much. Inclusive of all competitions the Reign and Thorns have played 38 times over 11 seasons. The next most common Thorns opponent is the Red Stars at 30 (31 for the Flash/Courage combo). The second most for the Reign is the Spirit with 30.

Finally, it may be a rite of passage into the big time, but we are now actually talking about fixture congestion for NWSL teams. With the W Concacaf Cup coming, three teams are likely to have two additional August matches stuffed into the calendar with trips to Central America a possibility. If the Wave and Gotham are among those teams as expected, it would take them each 36 matches to win the Summer Cup and NWSL Championship. It would take 35 for everyone else. Similar issues will apply to the Mexican clubs.

Fixture congestion will also hinder the event itself. It probably could not be helped but only two of nine match days will not have overlapping matches. July 20 features six matches, none of which have their own window.





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