I highly doubt a local college will have a soccer field that meets the minimum broadcasting requirements, especially with only a week or so of notice. Heck, we saw what happened at Torero this past week, and that's been on the schedule for nearly two months.
aaaaaaand strings were pulled https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/nwsl-announces-venue-update-for-2022-nwsl-challenge-cup-semifinal (emphases mine)
Big break in play at the moment... First half was entertaining enough, with NC the better team but WAS finding opportunities. Potential for (another) handball call against WAS at one point, but the player was falling at the time and not an easy call. Second half, mostly even, but things went to sh!t a few minutes ago. Staab makes a tackle on Kerolin in the box, which must've been a hard angle for the refs to see because TV replay shows how absolutely awful of a tackle it was. Should've been a PK, easily. Kerolin has trouble getting up after the tackle, and hobbles off for a minute or two. Then, karma decided to go into overdrive, as not only does NC score on the ensuing corner kick, but Kingsbury smashes her head into the post while trying to save the deflection. She gets subbed off via concussion protocol. Kerolin went back onto the pitch for a little bit but got subbed off as WAS makes their GK concussion sub. Erceg goes down on a (clearly unintentional) high boot from Hatch a minute or two later. Scary times. =EDIT= So actually Kingsbury is still in??? I could have sworn she got subbed... and definitely should have been, based on the head-to-the-post hit! Yikes
Collision makes two players go down, with Baggett *not moving*. Stretcher is now out for her; players ran over to the medical team to run the official cart out to her faster. She does start moving before the cart gets there but does NOT look good. This second half of this game has been one of the worst I have ever seen, put on a national broadcast or not; absolutely awful look for the league. This isn't a championship match, it's a destruction derby.
Comment on Twitter that this match is exemplary of the pattern that the actual product on the field is getting undermined by questionable calls and scary hits. IDK how this gets fixed.
Maybe fines imposed like other pro teams hand out. I know salaries are not the same in comparison but if team owners have to kick in with fines maybe the thuggery will decrease. Officials in the other pro leagues and sports get fined or decreased games too for missed calls. And I was shocked as well that Kingsbury was left in. I guess she passed the on the field tests.
VAR. Koroleva is the top referee in the US system, which is kind or scary. Refs need close supervision.
The main problem is starting the season with a trophy. If they're going to have a Challenge Cup, it should not replace pre-season. Pre-season is for unlimited substitutions, tactics, player familiarity, player fitness. Forcing teams to decide whether to treat it like exhibitions and get on with pre-season (with limited subs) or go for the hardware is a terrible thing. Players don't have their timing down, they don't all have their fitness down. We've seen the trail of rash challenges and injuries. If the Challenge Cup is to have a place it should either be a mid-season break thing, or spread out through the regular season like the men's USOC. Frankly, I'd like to see the group stage at least be played during international breaks. It would keep teams busy, it would allow teams to give minutes to players down the bench (helpful all the way around). But get this tournament out of the pre-season. Let teams go back to having a normal preseason. ---- That said, here's my take from the game: https://isiphotos.photoshelter.com/gallery/NWSL/G0000smHfCXdB_Kw/C00002Y8lb20itTM Edit: added word "not" to first paragraph
The issue is not the trophy, but having so many players for whom an extra 5k is material. Coaches could have rotated more, but I get why some did not. Look at Ward yesterday. Why did Bledsoe stay in the game? Why did Kerolin not come straight off? He put both players at risk. I agree that the schedule was tight and players may be tired, but the challenges by Staab and Hatch cant be blamed on anyone but them. Everyone needs to be held accountable. NWSL need to get meaningful content out there while the iron is warm. Maybe im wrong, but it seems like the money on the line for players in this was very comparable to that available for winning the supporters shield.
I think Jess Fishlock tweeted something like why does it seem like the Challenge Cup winners get more perks and awards than the team that wins the regular season shield even though the latter is much more harder to accomplish? I don't mind having a Challenge Cup but to bunch it all in one pre-season where injuries are more likely to occur and fatigue will set in as it overlaps with the start of the regular season isn't great for the players. Schedule it across the whole season or make the tournament smaller with only the top teams in a SheBelieve's Cup format? Also that injury with Baggett was probably the most horrific thing I witnessed in NWSL history. The fact that the players had to roll that stretcher across the field because there wasn't enough medical staff was disappointing. I'm glad she is out of the hospital and recovering okay.
Yes, at first it looked like she had difficulty breathing or might be paralyzed. Very scary. I must say I thought it was completely unintentional, both players going for a 50/50 ball. Glad Baggett is doing OK. I wonder how Kingsbury is feeling this morning; she hit the post hard. I haven't seen her play much; I was impressed.
And, that missed foul on Kerolin! Personally, I would have red carded Staab. It was a dangerous tackle from behind. Glad instant karma stepped up
Kerolin’s the new Marta! My pick for mvp. Never even heard of her until she joined the Courage. Brazil could easily win the WC If they got another half dozen like her back home! Especially if we keep starting O’Hara on the USWNT(simply atrocious game in the final)
Actually the medical staff had to struggle to get her to lie back down. She fought her way to her feet while the stretcher saga was going on. She was flat on her back when they got to her and one trainer immediately put their hands around the back of her neck indicating something serious - then she struggled to stand up while the trainers furiously tried to get her back down and to stop moving.
well yeah. Debinha been Brazil’s #1 player for an number of years now, I was more thinking Marta circa 2007, lol. Kerolin’s previous creds not all that remarkable; 4 goals/7 assists for Madrid FFC in 1200 minutes for the 2021-22 season(only 1 goal previous year) before being scooped up by some excellent scouting by NC. So does feel like there’s more Kerolin’s out there waiting to be discovered. In the interest of parity, it would of been awesome if Macario played for Brazil instead; that would if been one powerful, thrill fest team to watch play!
So, the mysterious NWSL DisCo (DISciplinary COmmittee) has taken a good look at the Challenge Cup final, and... ...fined Hatch. Not a suspension for planting studs into Erceg, and no mention whatsoever of Staab's horrendous tackle on Kerolin. https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/nws...h-carolina-courage-washington-spirit-incident