Tonight: The NWSL Challenge Cup kicks off

Bryan Byerly/ISI Photos

The 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup kicks off tonight with a rematch of last year’s title game between the Houston Dash and the Chicago Red Stars.

Tournament details:

Dates: April 9th — May 8th
Format: Round-robin group stage followed by a Championship game between each division’s top teams.
West division: Chicago, Houston, Kansas City, OL Reign, Portland.
East division: Gotham FC (formerly Sky Blue), North Carolina, Orlando, Louisville, Washington.

Teams we’ll have our eyes on:

Portland: They’ll be without their USWNT stars for the opening weekend, but they enter the season as the prohibitive favorites.
North Carolina: For the first time in a while, they look beatable. And yet, any squad featuring Lynn Williams, Debinha and Jess McDonald can’t be counted out.
Louisville: The NWSL’s newest club could have a rocky first year on the field. Off the field, they’re already crushing the brand messaging. That’s half the battle at this stage!

Tonight:

Tomorrow:

Note: all games stream internationally on Twitch.

Get prepped with our very own Haley Kopmeyer’s list of 12 players she’ll be watching for this season.