NWSL Challenge Cup 2022

And for the record, if the list of games was a lot for people to read:

CC format this year is three groups of four teams, grouped geographically, followed by semifinals and a final. Groups are home-and-away groups, so six games per team (hosting each of the three opponents). Best second-place team joins the group winners in the SFs.

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For my own take on things, I really like the format. I might've preferred two six-team groups with five games per team, but that's probably splitting hairs.

As a Spirit fan, though, I think it's a huge missed opportunity that the first game (against our NY/NJ rivals, no less) is a Segra instead of Audi. Not a great place to welcome the defending league champions back to kick off the new season.

 

Thank you. Is there an iCal or similar way to import this?

 

Was originally surprised ACFC decided to play their Challenge Cup matches at Titan Stadium, way outside of LA, compared to at their home stadium of the Banc.

But, I'm glad they did. This preseason-ish tournament I find kind of dumb instead of going straight into the season, but I'd rather save our real home opener for the regular season.

Could they have chosen a better venue closer to Los Angeles? Yes, there are probably many options instead of me having to make an 1 and a half drive for a home match.

A fun way to test those who bought season tickets to see if they will drive this much for the team I guess.

 

Maybe schedules conflicting with other teams playing at Audi? Yeah for a champion team they should definitely be able to play there instead of Segra. They earned it. Even have a little parade or something which feels long overdue.

 

They said not long after the championship that they were going to wait until spring to have the parade, giving them time to prepare something nice - plus, though they didn't say it, it delays things a bit to hopefully wait out both pandemic issue and the ownership fight.

 

I always had reservations about being a North Carolina Courage Fan**, but because the first incarnation of NC was all of the WNY Flash, I had to be a Courage fan. Thankfully, Paul Riley is gone; however, the shifting sands of player transactions have me poised to adopt another favorite team. Not that numbers are everything, but Ex-WNY Flash players (including WPS and WPSL-Elite) are on the pre-season rosters [*https://keepernotes.com] of every team but CHI, HOU, and RGN. These are players I watched and cheered for live in Rochester:

NC–5, KC–5, GOT–4 (most importantly McCall), SD–4, ORL–3, LA– 2, LOU–1, and WAS–1.

After NC, my teams were HOU (Rachel & The Canadians), WAS (Huster and Hatch), and GOT (going back to Christie Rampone’s WPS championship). If I want to, I can drive to a game at Red Bull; all the other teams are out of reach.

So I am going to root for the KC Current from my armchair this year (Edmonds, Williams, Mewis, Franch, and Hamilton) and maybe plan a trip out there this summer.

I am so looking forward to actual games.
-CJ

** As a Syracuse Orangeman, and proponent of Big East Basketball for more than 30 years, I have an ingrained dislike for any team from North Carolina. Meaning the Wolfpack, Blue Devils, and above all the Tar Heels. And since Syracuse joined the ACC, they are not just inter-regional rivals, but conference foes. Right after the move from WNY, I found it impossible to scan the North Carolina news outlets for NC Courage articles due to all the North Carolina and Duke coverage. I still don’t read them.

 

Friday Through Sunday. I will give my 'shoot-from-the-hip' picks a la Ernie DiGregario, Providence College and NBA Buffalo Braves.

KC wins at LOU
RGN at home draw POR (Sauerbrunn, Rodriguez, Rapinoe out)
WAS wins at ORL
GOT wins at NC
SD wins at LA
HOU wins at home v CHI


-CJ

 

Agreed. Kind of a slap in the face to open the 2022 calendar year at Segra. That facility is pretty universally despised by players and fans I think. The turf appears low quality, which doesn't translate to attractive play.

Anyone know why Washington Spirit don't play their non-Audi games at Maryland SoccerPlex? The Plex and Segra are about equidistant from downtown DC, and similar seating capacity. Plus the Plex has lots of WoSo history and a beautiful grass pitch.

 

First starting lineups of the Challenge Cup (exact formations speculative, graphics did not include them)

Kansas City Current

Franch
Edmonds Loera Mace Winebrenner
Scott (c)
Mewis Pickett
Labonta
Williams Hamilton

Racing Louisville

Lund
Merrick Martin Bonner (c) Fox
Howell Olofsson
Kizer
Ekic McDonald Davis

Apparently some severe weather in the area, hope the game is not delayed/cancelled! Happy for Addisyn Merrick, one of the surprise stars of 2020 Covid bubble Challenge Cup but then missed nearly all last season. I am shocked Louisville did not sign any defenders, they have a total of five on the entire roster!

 

Contractual stuff, I believe, part of the deal that allowed the Spirit to get into Audi in the first place. United owns both facilities, so to get time at Audi, I think the Spirit had to agree to a set number of dates at Segra as well.

 

They should at least install higher quality turf like Providence Park has. The ball rolls so bizarrely at Segra and black rubber pellets spray everywhere. DC United has plenty of money, as does Spirit owner Michele Kang.

 

The long winter of our discontent is nearly over. The NWSL season starts tonight

 

I know I've seen some people complain that we don't have a "Decision Day" to end the regular season this year - while watching the start of tonight CC opener, it made me realize that the NWSL team at CBS probably isn't large enough to support six games at once. I bet they only have enough people for two or three simultaneous broadcast teams...

 

Kizer -> McDonald -> Kizer to get the first goal of the season - against the run of play, I might add - currently LOU 1-0 KC

 

The announcers could not figure out LaBonta was playing center forward in the first half. When McCain came in for Mewis in 2nd half, she took the CF spot and LaBonta dropped into the Mewis midfield role.
2 rookie center defenders is not going to work for KC.
BTW with Chesky reffing, the chances of a late game PK are high.

 

Both matches tonight end 1-1, even though RGN and especially KC had the better of play in their respective games. From what announcers mentioned, I think I heard RGN had about 20 crosses to POR's 8, and KC had an xG of roughly 2.5 to LOU's xG of maybe 0.8?

 

Keep an eye on Mikayla Colohan Cluff to have a quietly solid rookie season, for a rookie coach on a team that has turned over personnel more than most.

 

Four games down.
Orlando and North Carolina’s play exceeded my expectations (NC by a lot). I felt the play of Los Angeles looked more in sync than San Diego, which surprised me.

Princeton Tiger Tyler Lussi was my POTM. In my imagination, I could see Casey Stoney shaking her head and thinking “NO ONE in the FAWSL plays like that.” OTOH the spectre of Alex Morgan and Sophia Jakobsson playing together full time is pulse-quickening.

 

Five games, but who's counting? They're almost all draws anyway. X'-D

Agree that Lussi was PotM in the SoCal Showdown. I was actually a bit miffed at one point late in the game where the announcers singled out several LA players who had been doing well, but completely omitted Lussi, who i think had the most good looks on the team.

It seemed to me like SD had the better first half but LA had the better second half, which is very odd considering the LA should've been far more tired based on the lack of substitutions. Then again, maybe that's why they started really gelling in the second half versus the first, and SD didn't get that chance to gel.

I know some people had LA down on their prediction lists, likely because of missing Ertz+Gorden and having question marks on many internationals... But I already said that I thought LA was pretty stacked even with their two missing big-name players because - I mean, just look at their American core. Their backline still has Nielsen and Riley (who was born in LA even if she's largely played as a Kiwi), their midfield has Roccaro, McCaskill, and Weatherholt, and up front has Spencer, Charley, Lussi, and of course Press. IDK what others think, but that set of Americans is far and away better than what SD has, and better than what several other teams have.

 

Looks like Chicago is winning this one.