The inaugural 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup Schedule
#ChallengeCup – The tournament draw for the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret took take place at 12 p.m. ET on Monday, June 1 on CBS Sports HQ, the free 24/7 streaming sports news network.
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has unveiled the bracket for the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret, which will see the Orlando Pride face the Chicago Red Stars, Portland Thorns, North Carolina Courage and Sky Blue FC in the preliminary rounds after drawing the nine-seed on Monday.
In an environment of uncertainty during the unprecedented Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, it is brave and super smart that the NWSL perseveres and establishes itself as a force to be recognized in professional sports. Launching the inaugural NWSL Challenge Cup in 2020 takes guts and deserving of attention.
Here is the press release on the preliminary round schedule of the inaugural 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup:
The tournament, announced last week by the NWSL, will kick off on Saturday, June 27 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.
That same day will see the Pride face off against the 2019 NWSL Runner-Up Chicago Red Stars to open their 2020 Challenge Cup campaign.
Following a matchup with Chicago, the Pride will then face off against Portland Thorns FC on Wednesday, July 1.
Four days later, they will take on the reigning NWSL Champion North Carolina Courage on Sunday, July 5 before closing out the preliminary round against New Jersey-based side Sky Blue FC on Thursday, July 9.
The top eight teams will then advance to the quarterfinals, where the tournament will transition to a knockout competition.
The semifinals and Final presented by Budweiser will be played at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah with the Championship match slated for July 26, 2020.
Read: NWSL TO KICK OFF 2020 CHALLENGE CUP IN JUNE
Kickoff times and broadcast details for specific matches will be announced at a later date. All preliminary round matches and quarterfinal games will be held at Zions Bank Stadium, while the semifinal and final matches will be played at Rio Tinto Stadium – home to NWSL side Utah Royals FC and Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake.
Both the tournament opener and the Final will air on CBS and will be streamed on the CBS All Access subscription service. All other games will be live on CBS All Access in the U.S. and Canada and will re-air on CBS Sports Network.
Fans outside the U.S. and Canada can stream the full tournament on Twitch.
The full schedule of the preliminary round can be found here.
Source: Release
