2021 NWSL Challenge Cup

The 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup was a league cup tournament that took place during the 2021 National Women's Soccer League season.[1] It began on April 9 and ended May 8, one week before the start of the regular season.[2] It was the second iteration of the NWSL Challenge Cup tournament, which had started in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and was announced as a regular event later in 2020.[3] Portland Thorns FC won the 2021 final over NJ/NY Gotham FC in a penalty shootout.[4]

2021 NWSL Challenge Cup
2021 National Women's Soccer League Challenge Cup presented by Secret Deodorant
CountryUnited States
DatesApril 9 – May 8
Teams10
Defending championsHouston Dash
ChampionsPortland Thorns FC (1st title)
Runners-upNJ/NY Gotham FC
Championship match score1–1
6–5 (p)
Matches played21
Goals scored48 (2.29 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Debinha
(3 goals)
MVPDebinha
← 2020
2022 →

Format

While the inaugural Challenge Cup took place entirely in a single "bubble" location during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Challenge Cup was played in home markets.[2] The 10 NWSL teams were organized into two regional divisions of five teams each.[5] Every team played four games within their division, with the two division winners competing in the final on May 8.[5]

The full schedule was released on March 9, 2021,[6] along with tournament rules and regulations.[7]

Tiebreakers

The initial determining factor for a team's position in the standings was most points earned, with three points earned for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. If two or more teams were equal on points after completion of the preliminary round, the following criteria were applied to determine team rankings:[8]

  1. Superior goal difference in all divisional matches.
  2. Greatest number of goals scored in all divisional matches.
  3. Lowest team conduct score relating to the number of yellow and red cards obtained, where only one of the below point totals shall be applied to a player in a single match:
    1. yellow card: 1 point;
    2. indirect red card (as a result of two yellow cards): 3 points;
    3. direct red card: 4 points;
    4. yellow card and direct red card: 5 points.
  4. Drawing of lots by the NWSL.

Final

The final was hosted by the team with the best record across both divisions. The final was 90 minutes; in the event it was tied, teams would proceed directly to a penalty shootout with no overtime periods.

East Division

Standings
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 NJ/NY Gotham FC 4 2 2 0 5 3 +2 8 Qualification for the Championship
2 North Carolina Courage 4 2 1 1 9 8 +1 7
3 Orlando Pride 4 1 2 1 3 3 0 5
4 Washington Spirit 4 1 1 2 3 4 −1 4
5 Racing Louisville FC 4 0 2 2 4 6 −2 2
Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Games
North Carolina Courage3–2Washington Spirit
 Report
Attendance: 2,300
Referee: Alyssa Nichols
Racing Louisville FC2–2Orlando Pride
 Report
Attendance: 5,300
Orlando Pride0–1NJ/NY Gotham FC
 Report
Referee: Natalie Simon
Washington Spirit1–0Racing Louisville FC
 Report
Referee: Danielle Chesky
NJ/NY Gotham FC4–3North Carolina Courage
 Report
Referee: Laura Rodriguez
Orlando Pride1–0Washington Spirit
 Report
Referee: Alexandra Billeter
Racing Louisville FC2–3North Carolina Courage
 Report
Attendance: 3,742
Referee: Tori Penso
Washington Spirit0–0NJ/NY Gotham FC
 Report
Attendance: 2,039
Referee: Karen Callado
North Carolina Courage0–0Orlando Pride
 Report
Attendance: 2,426
NJ/NY Gotham FC0–0Racing Louisville FC
 Report
Referee: Karen Abt

West Division

Standings
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Portland Thorns FC 4 3 1 0 6 2 +4 10 Qualification for the Championship
2 OL Reign 4 2 1 1 5 5 0 7
3 Houston Dash 4 1 3 0 4 2 +2 6
4 Chicago Red Stars 4 0 2 2 3 5 −2 2
5 Kansas City 4 0 1 3 4 8 −4 1
Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Games
Houston Dash0–0Chicago Red Stars
Report
Attendance: 4,204
Referee: Tori Penso
Portland Thorns FC2–1Kansas City
 Report
Referee: Danielle Chesky
Chicago Red Stars0–1Portland Thorns FC
 Report
Referee: Karen Callado
OL Reign0–0Houston Dash
 Report
Chicago Red Stars1–1Kansas City
 Report
Referee: Natalie Simon
Portland Thorns FC2–0OL Reign
 Report
Referee: Karen Abt
Kansas City1–3Houston Dash
 Report
Referee: Alyssa Nichols
OL Reign3–2Chicago Red Stars
Huerta 41'
Pruitt 70'
King 87'		 Report Pugh 38'
Gautrat 90'
Attendance: 1,105
Referee: Laura Rodriguez
Houston Dash1–1Portland Thorns FC
 Report
Attendance: 3,162
Referee: Elvis Osmanovic
Kansas City1–2OL Reign
 Report
Referee: Karen Callado

Championship
Main article: 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup Championship

Portland Thorns FC won the right to host the final by finishing with the best record across both divisions.[9] The game finished in a 1-1 draw after the regulation 90 minutes, so it proceeded to a penalty shootout. Each team missed one penalty kick during the first five rounds, both hitting a shot off the crossbar. In the seventh round, Gotham FC, shooting first, had a shot saved by Portland goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, and Morgan Weaver converted Portland's try to win the tournament.

Portland Thorns FC1–1NJ/NY Gotham FC
 Report
Penalties
 6–5
Referee: Natalie Simon

Statistics

Goalscorers

Statistics do not include penalty-shootout goals.There were 48 goals scored in 21 matches, for an average of 2.29 goals per match.

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Source: NWSL

Discipline

A player would be automatically suspended for the next match in the tournament for the following offenses:[7]

  • Receiving a red card (red card suspensions may be extended for serious offenses);
  • Receiving two yellow cards in two matches, unless the second yellow card was accumulated in the final match of divisional play;
  • Only direct red card suspensions would be carried over to the NWSL regular season.

The following suspensions were served during the tournament:

Player / Coach Offense(s) Suspension
United States Simone Charley, POR Yellow card Yellow-red card vs. KC, April 9 vs. CHI, April 15
England Mark Parsons, POR Red card vs. KC, April 9 vs. CHI, April 15[10]
United States Morgan Weaver, POR Red card vs. KC, April 9 Rescinded[11]
United States Kristen Edmonds, KC Red card vs. POR, April 9 vs. CHI, April 21
vs. HOU, April 26[11]
United States Jorian Baucom, LOU Major game misconduct vs. ORL, April 10 vs. WAS, April 15[11]
United States Kelley O'Hara, WAS Yellow card Yellow-red card vs. ORL, April 21 vs. NJY, April 27
United States Kate Del Fava, KC Yellow card vs. POR, April 9
Yellow card vs. HOU, April 26		 vs. RGN, May 3
Argentina Mariana Larroquette, KC Major game misconduct vs. HOU, April 26 vs. RGN, May 3[12]

Awards

Debinha of the North Carolina Courage was voted the tournament's Most Valuable Player.[13] DiDi Haracic (NJ/NY Gotham FC) and Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns FC), whose teams faced off in the final, were the other two MVP finalists.

Adrianna Franch of the Portland Thorns was voted the MVP of the championship game.[14] She was also named NWSL Player of the Week for her play in the championship game.[15]

Weekly awards
Week Player of the Week Save of the Week Ref.
Player Club Player Club
1United States Ashlyn HarrisOrlando Pride[16]
2United States Ashlyn HarrisOrlando PrideUnited States Ashlyn Harris (2)Orlando Pride[17][18]
3United States Kristie MewisHouston DashUnited States Michelle BetosRacing Louisville FC[19][20]
4Spain CeliaOL ReignUnited States Carson PickettNorth Carolina Courage[21][22]
5United States Adrianna FranchPortland Thorns FCBosnia and Herzegovina DiDi HaracicNJ/NY Gotham FC[23][24]

Broadcasting

NWSL's broadcasting partnership with CBS Sports and Twitch continued. In the US, CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) aired the opener, a rematch of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup Championship between Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars, on April 9, as well as three additional games; the final game on May 8 was available on CBS and Paramount+; and all other games were streamed exclusively on Paramount+. Every game was available on Twitch internationally, including in Canada when games were not on CBS Sports Network.[5]

JP Dellacamera and Aly Wagner commentated on the opening game and the final, while Jenn Hildreth and Lori Lindsey provided commentary in three other games on CBSSN. Marisa Pilla returned to the coverage as sideline reporter. Commentators for Paramount+ and Twitch coverage included play-by-play announcers Mike Watts, Jordan Angeli, Josh Eastern, Joe Malfa and Josh Tolle, and match analyst Lori Lindsey, Jen Cooper, Kaylyn Kyle, Lisa Roman and Kacey White.[25]

References
  1. "NWSL Announces Innovative 2021 Competition Framework". NWSL. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  2. "2021 NWSL CHALLENGE CUP SET TO BE PLAYED IN HOME MARKETS; KICKOFF SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 9". NWSL. January 27, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  3. "NWSL Announces Innovative 2021 Competition Framework". NWSL. November 18, 2020. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  4. Donovan, Mike (May 8, 2021). "Challenge Cup Championship Recap | Portland Thorns FC 1 (6), NJ/NY Gotham FC 1 (5)". Portland Thorns FC. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  5. "NWSL Announces 2021 Challenge Cup Presented by Secret Opener in Houston". NWSL. March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  6. "NWSL Releases Full Schedule and Broadcast Details for 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup Presented by Secret Deodorant". NWSL. March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  7. "2021 NWSL CHALLENGE CUP RULES AND REGULATIONS" (PDF). NWSL. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  8. NWSL Challenge Cup Tournament Rules
  9. Tannenwald, Jonathan (May 4, 2021). "Union offer to host NWSL Challenge Cup final at Subaru Park if game has to be moved from Portland". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  10. "Chicago Red Stars vs. Portland Thorns FC". www.nwslsoccer.com.
  11. "NWSL Disciplinary Committee Issues Decisions". NWSL. April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  12. "NWSL Disciplinary Committee Issues Decisions". NWSL. May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  13. "Debinha named MVP of 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup presented by Secret Deodorant". NWSL. May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  14. Myers, Ryan (May 8, 2021). "Thorns Win 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup". Prost Amerika. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  15. "Thorns FC goalkeeper Adrianna Franch named NWSL Player of the Week". Portland Thorns FC. May 12, 2021. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  16. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (April 16, 2021). "All worthy, but we have a winner... 🗳️ @Ashlyn_Harris' penalty save takes home @Verizon Save of the Week 👏 #CC21 t.co/lSPp3N9Nxe" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  17. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (April 22, 2021). "Clean sheet, clean sweep 🙌 @Ashlyn_Harris earns @budweiserusa Player of the Week honors 👏 #CC21 t.co/GoApNParMn" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  18. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (April 23, 2021). "Two for Two ✌️ @Ashlyn_Harris' second PK stop in as many weeks earns @Verizon Save of the Week honors 👏 #CC21 t.co/OgyXkYxwXe" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  19. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (April 29, 2021). "Nothing Mew here 🤩 @KristieMewie is your @budweiserusa Player of the Week 🏆 #CC21 t.co/DMExO5mnIw" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  20. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (April 30, 2021). "Bet on Betos 💰 @MichelleBetos takes home @Verizon Save of the Week honors 🙅♀️ #CC21 t.co/M30wBEYGLQ" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  21. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 6, 2021). "No rocket science needed for this one 🚀 @celiajimdel engineers her way to @budweiserusa Player of the Week honors 👏 #CC21 | @OLReign t.co/xRQkApv6wj" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  22. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 7, 2021). "𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤ed her spot perfectly 😎 @Cars_Pickett16's goal line clearance is your @Verizon Save of the Week! #CC21 t.co/7gnC45AOHS" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  23. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 11, 2021). "⭐️ A.D. = Always Dazzling ⭐️ @ADizzle23 takes home @budweiserusa Player of the Week honors for an amazing POTM performance in the #CC21 Final 👏 t.co/UGmu0KmXsI" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  24. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 12, 2021). "Was there ever a doubt? 😏 @DIdeeds legendary stop takes home @Verizon Save of the Week honors 👏 #CC21 | @GothamFC t.co/8nCa7w05u8" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  25. intive. "NWSL Announces Broadcast Lineup for 2021 Challenge Cup Presented by Secret Deodorant". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
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