2020 NWSL Challenge Cup Championship
The 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup Championship was a soccer match held on July 26, 2020, at the Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. It was the final match of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, a one-off competition marking the resumption of the 2020 National Women's Soccer League season following the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The match was played behind closed doors due to the pandemic and was broadcast on CBS beginning at 12:30 ET.
Championship, presented by Budweiser, of the 2020 National Women's Soccer League Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret | |||||||
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Event | 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup | ||||||
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Date | July 26, 2020 | ||||||
Venue | Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah | ||||||
Woman of the Match | Shea Groom, HOU | ||||||
Referee | Katja Koroleva | ||||||
Attendance | 0 (Behind closed doors) |
Houston Dash won the match 2–0 against Chicago Red Stars to win the tournament.
Road to the final
The 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup was a one-off tournament during the 2020 NWSL season to mark the league's return to action from the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight National Women's Soccer League teams participated in the tournament. The tournament, played behind closed doors in the Salt Lake City area, began on June 27 with a preliminary round, followed by a knockout round.
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first.
Houston Dash | Round | Chicago Red Stars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Opponent | Result | Preliminary round | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Utah Royals FC | 3–3 | Match 1 | Washington Spirit | 1–2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
OL Reign | 2–0 | Match 2 | Portland Thorns FC | 0–0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sky Blue FC | 0–2 | Match 3 | North Carolina Courage | 0–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Washington Spirit | 0–1 | Match 4 | Utah Royals FC | 1–0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Final standings |
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Opponent | Result | Knockout round | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Utah Royals FC | 0–0 (3–2 p) | Quarter-finals | OL Reign | 0–0 (4–3 p) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portland Thorns FC | 1–0 | Semi-finals | Sky Blue FC | 3–2 |
Match
Details
Houston Dash
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Chicago Red Stars
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Woman of the Match:
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Match rules
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Broadcasting
The match aired on CBS and CBS All Access in the United States and Canada, and on Twitch internationally.[2] Jenn Hildreth and Lori Lindsey served as play-by-play announcer and analyst respectively on CBS, while Mike Watts and Jen Cooper did the same on Twitch. Marisa Pilla was the on-field reporter.
CBS Sports soccer reporter Sandra Herrera and studio host Sherree Burruss hosted the pre- and post-game shows on CBS Sports HQ along with Aly Wagner. Alex Morgan also joined the pregame show.
Notes
- Each team was given only three opportunities to make substitutions, excluding substitutions made at half-time.
References
- https://twitter.com/NWSL/status/1287476017116872709
- Levine, Matthew (July 25, 2020). "NWSL announces broadcast talent for championship, presented by Budweiser, of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret". NWSL. Retrieved July 26, 2020.