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]
 The Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, hosted the match. | |||||||
| Event | NWSL Challenge Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Date | March 15, 2024 | ||||||
| Venue | Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey | ||||||
| Most Valuable Player | Alex Morgan[1] | ||||||
| Referee | Danielle Chesky[2] | ||||||
| Attendance | 14,241 | ||||||
The San Diego Wave defeated Gotham 1–0, with an Alex Morgan goal in the 88th minute.[1]
Background
editThe 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
edit| Team | Qualification | Previous final appearances (bold indicates winners) |
|---|---|---|
| NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2023 NWSL champions | 1 (2021) |
| San Diego Wave FC | 2023 NWSL Shield winners | None |
Match
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      Gotham |    Wave |
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Most Valuable Player: | Match rules[7]
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References
edit- ^ a b c "Alex Morgan Still Has the Magic: Scores Lone Goal in Wave's Challenge Cup Win". Times of San Diego. March 15, 2024 – via MSN.
- ^ a b c d e "NWSL Challenge Cup Assignments". Professional Referee Organization. March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Lauletta, Dan (September 5, 2023). "Get ready to say goodbye to the Challenge Cup". The Equalizer. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ "National Women's Soccer League Announces 2024 Schedule Footprint, Competition Calendar". National Women's Soccer League. December 3, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NWSL Challenge Cup rules and regulations" (PDF). National Women's Soccer League. March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.