2024 NWSL Challenge Cup

Last updated

2024 NWSL Challenge Cup
Red Bull Arena Harrison behind goal.jpg
The Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, hosted the match.
Event NWSL Challenge Cup
NJ/NY Gotham FC San Diego Wave FC
01
DateMarch 15, 2024 (2024-03-15)
Venue Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey
Most Valuable Player Alex Morgan [1]
Referee Danielle Chesky [2]
Attendance14,241
← 2023
2025→

The 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup, known as the 2024 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, [3] was the fifth edition of the NWSL Challenge Cup, a women's soccer competition organized by the National Women's Soccer League. The match was the first Challenge Cup to be played in the super cup format as a one-off game, contested by the winners of the previous season's NWSL Championship and NWSL Shield. It featured NJ/NY Gotham FC, champions of the 2023 National Women's Soccer League, and San Diego Wave FC, winners of the 2023 NWSL Shield. The match was played on March 15, 2024, and was hosted by Gotham FC at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. The match was acted as an curtain raiser to the 2024 season, and was broadcast on Amazon Prime Video, marking the start of the platform's coverage of the NWSL. [4]

Contents

The San Diego Wave defeated Gotham 1–0, with an Alex Morgan goal in the 88th minute. [1]

Background

The NWSL Challenge Cup was created as a league cup tournament in 2020 as a return to competition after the 2020 NWSL regular season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition was successful enough to be brought back in 2021, though played prior to the start of the NWSL's regular season. This format continued in 2022, but was changed in 2023 to take place during the league's regular season. However, with more regular season matches taking place due to the league being expanded from 12 to 14 teams in 2024, the NWSL decided to scrap the league cup format. [5] Instead, the competition was reformatted to be a one-off super cup match, to be contested by the winners of the NWSL Championship and NWSL Shield from the previous season. Should the same team win the NWSL Shield and Championship, the fixture will be a rematch of the previous NWSL Championship. The game will act as an opener to the league season, played the day prior to the first regular season matches. [6]

The competition will continue to be sponsored by UKG. The company will award $3,500 in prize money to each player of the winning team, while each player of the losing team will receive $2,200. The most valuable player will be awarded an additional $2,000. [3]

Teams

TeamQualificationPrevious final appearances (bold indicates winners)
NJ/NY Gotham FC 2023 NWSL champions1 (2021)
San Diego Wave FC 2023 NWSL Shield winnersNone

Match

Details

NJ/NY Gotham FC 0–1 San Diego Wave FC
Report
  • Morgan Soccerball shade.svg88'
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey
Attendance: 14,241
Referee: Danielle Chesky
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body goth24h.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Gotham
Kit left arm sdw24h.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body sdw24h.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm sdw24h.png
Kit right arm.svg
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Wave
GK38 Flag of the United States.svg Cassie Miller
RB5 Flag of the United States.svg Kelley O'Hara (c)Sub off.svg 85'
CB15 Flag of the United States.svg Tierna Davidson
CB77 Flag of Spain.svg Maitane López Sub off.svg 85'
LB3 Flag of Brazil.svg Bruninha Yellow card.svg 85'
DM14 Flag of the United States.svg Nealy Martin Sub off.svg 75'
RM18 Flag of Ireland.svg Yazmeen Ryan Sub off.svg 66'
LM17 Flag of the United States.svg Delanie Sheehan Yellow card.svg 69'
LW9 Flag of Spain.svg Esther González Yellow card.svg 72'
RW23 Flag of the United States.svg Midge Purce Sub off.svg 76'
ST28 Flag of the United States.svg Katie Stengel Sub off.svg 66'
Substitutes:
GK1 Flag of the United States.svg Michelle Betos
DF25 Flag of the United States.svg Maycee Bell Sub on.svg 85'
DF19 Flag of the United States.svg Crystal Dunn Sub on.svg 66'
DF22 Flag of the United States.svg Mandy Freeman
DF21 Flag of the United States.svg Sam Hiatt Sub on.svg 85'
MF2 Flag of the United States.svg Jenna Nighswonger Sub on.svg 76'
MF6 Flag of the United States.svg Emily Sonnett Sub on.svg 66'
FW13 Flag of the United States.svg Ella Stevens Sub on.svg 85'
FW8 Flag of the United States.svg Taryn Torres
Manager:
Flag of the United States.svg Juan Carlos Amorós
GK1 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kailen Sheridan
RB6 Flag of Sweden.svg Hanna Lundkvist Sub off.svg 74'
CB4 Flag of the United States.svg Naomi Girma
CB2 Flag of the United States.svg Abby Dahlkemper (c)
LB20 Flag of the United States.svg Christen Westphal Sub off.svg 61'
DM5 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Emily van Egmond
DM15 Flag of the United States.svg Makenzy Doniak Sub off.svg 71'
AM21 Flag of the United States.svg Savannah McCaskill
RM23 Flag of the United States.svg Elyse Bennett Sub off.svg 60'
LM11 Flag of the United States.svg Jaedyn Shaw Sub off.svg 90+1'
ST33 Flag of Ireland.svg Kyra Carusa Sub off.svg 45'
Substitutes:
GK22 Flag of the United States.svg Hillary Beall
GK35 Flag of the United States.svg Morgan Messner
DF8 Flag of the United States.svg Sierra Enge Sub on.svg 74'
DF16 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kaitlyn Torpey Sub on.svg 61'
MF24 Flag of the United States.svg Danielle Colaprico Sub on.svg 71'
MF10 Flag of Sweden.svg Sofia Jakobsson Sub on.svg 60'
FW13 Flag of the United States.svg Alex Morgan Sub on.svg 45'
FW25 Flag of the United States.svg Melanie Barcenas
FW7 Flag of the United States.svg Amirah Ali Sub on.svg 90+1'
Manager:
Flag of England.svg Casey Stoney

Most Valuable Player:
Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave) [1]
Assistant referees: [2]
Tom Felice
Art Arustamyan
Fourth official: [2]
Alyssa Nichols
Video assistant referee: [2]
Kevin Broadley
Assistant video assistant referee: [2]
Kaili Terry

Match rules [7]

  • 90 minutes.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores level.
  • Nine named substitutes, of which up to five may be used.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Alex Morgan Still Has the Magic: Scores Lone Goal in Wave's Challenge Cup Win". Times of San Diego . March 15, 2024 – via MSN.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "NWSL Challenge Cup Assignments". Professional Referee Organization. March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "2024 NWSL Season Opens With UKG NWSL Challenge Cup, Featuring Clash of Champions, Start of Prime Video Coverage". National Women's Soccer League. March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Reigning NWSL Champion NJ/NY Gotham FC, Shield-Winning San Diego Wave FC to Raise Curtain on 2024 Season With NWSL Challenge Cup". National Women's Soccer League. January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  5. ↑ Lauletta, Dan (September 5, 2023). "Get ready to say goodbye to the Challenge Cup". The Equalizer. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  6. ↑ "National Women's Soccer League Announces 2024 Schedule Footprint, Competition Calendar". National Women's Soccer League. December 3, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  7. ↑ "2024 NWSL Challenge Cup rules and regulations" (PDF). National Women's Soccer League. March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.