NWSL announces Challenge Cup seeding, knockout schedule

The National Women’s Soccer League on Tuesday announced seeding for the quarterfinals of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret.

The quarterfinal round will be played on Friday and Saturday at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah. All four games will air on CBS All Access and be streamed on Twitch for fans outside the U.S. and Canada.

No. 1 North Carolina Courage will open knockout-round play on Friday at 10:30 a.m. MDT against No. 8 Portland Thorns FC followed by No. 4 Houston Dash matching up against No. 5 Utah Royals FC at 8 p.m. MDT.

The rest of the seeding is as follows:

No. 2, Washington Spirit to play No. 7, Sky Blue FC.

No. 3, OL Reign to play No. 6, Chicago Red Stars.

The 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup semifinals will be played the following week on Wednesday, July 22, at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, with kickoffs slated for 10:30 a.m. MDT and 8 p.m. MDT. The 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup championship will also be held at Rio Tinto Stadium and air on CBS and CBS All Access, and will live stream on Twitch for international fans.  

A 25-game tournament, the Challenge Cup marks the league’s first competition since the 2019 NWSL Championship. It presented unique opportunity for players to return to competition with the unanimous support of the league owners and the players association. Utah Royals ownership has provided  housing, training, and competition needs for the league’s nine teams and create an “NWSL Village” to control as much of the environment as possible.

Back in Kentucky, officials with Racing Louisville FC recently rolled out their crest and colors for a 2021 NWSL launch. The club is anticipating an expansion draft and other measures to fill its roster, with home games to be played at the new Lynn Family Stadium.