The North Carolina Courage announced on Wednesday morning that the club would be participating in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup in Utah between June 27 and July 26.
The announcement of the Challenge Cup comes just days after the NWSL announced that it was moving into Phase Two of its Return to Play Phase Protocol, which allows for small group training of eight or fewer players. Included in that release is the planned move to Phase Three, full-squad training, on May 30, if teams complete five days of small group training and local regulations allow for it.
“We are excited to get the Courage back on the field and to participate in the NWSL Challenge Cup,” said North Carolina Football Club President and General Manager Curt Johnson in the release. “With the best medical and governmental advice in mind, the league office, teams, and players have adopted rigorous protocols to provide as safe an environment as possible. We have a unique opportunity to showcase the Courage and are thrilled to compete.”
The “international-style” tournament will consist of 25 total games starting with a four-game group stage for each team to determine seeding, following which the top-eight will compete in a knockout round.
“The team is tremendously excited to compete and obviously it’s a massive thanks to everyone who made this happen,” said NC Courage head coach Paul Riley in the release. “It was a huge effort with safety being the number one priority and we are incredibly humbled and thankful to the NWSL for being a driving force to put our sport in the forefront.”
According to the FAQ article also released by the Courage on Wednesday morning, the Challenge Cup will not replace the 2020 NWSL Season. The article states, “The NWSL continues to communicate with the NWSLPA and the Board of Governors to actively evaluate the opportunity to have a 2020 regular season, playoffs, and an NWSL Championship which would follow the Challenge Cup in Utah.”
The NWSL leadership worked alongside Utah Governor Gary Herbert, Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox, the Utah Sports Commission and local health officials in Utah to make the tournament a reality.
“Utah is home to strong health care systems and dedicated medical professionals — and public health and safety are always a top priority for our communities. Because of those factors, I believe our state will be a great location for the National Women’s Soccer League to host its competition in 2020,” Governor Herbert said in the release. “I’m grateful to Dell Loy Hansen for his work to find a solution that we believe will benefit the league and our community as a whole.”
The NWSL’s Medical Task Force, consisting of a team doctor from each of the league’s members, has created a safety plan for the tournament which according to the release is as follows, “Each player, official and essential staff member will be tested 48 hours prior to departure for Utah and upon arrival and will be subject to consistent testing, temperature readings and symptom review throughout their stay in Utah.”
Further information on the safety protocols for the Challenge Cup can be found on the NWSL website.
The entire tournament will be hosted by Utah Royals FC owner Dell Loy Hansen who according to the release will, “accommodate all 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.”
“With the efforts of our frontline workers, our state’s early adoption of preventative measures, and our facilities at Zions Bank Real Academy, Rio Tinto Stadium and America First Credit Union Field, Utah is uniquely prepared to host the nine teams in the NWSL and put on a tremendous tournament,” said Hansen in the release. “With the full support of the Governor and the medical experts in our community, we are thrilled to bring the tournament to Utah.”
All games of the tournament will be available on CBS All-Access for fans in the US and Canada with the first game and final being broadcast live on CBS. Fans will not be allowed to attend any games of the Challenge Cup. For fans outside those two countries, the games will be available on the NWSL’s Twitch channel.
“As our country begins to safely reopen and adjust to our collective new reality, and with the enthusiastic support of our players, owners, as well as our new and current commercial partners, the NWSL is thrilled to bring professional soccer back to the United States,” said NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird in the release. “This exciting month-long tournament will showcase our league’s talented players and provide our fans the type of world-class entertainment they’ve come to expect from the NWSL.”
