Busy with the Women’s Champions League during the league cup group stage, both Arsenal and Chelsea reached the semifinals after their first outings of the season in the competition, but do their “free passes” into the last eight further devalue the cup?
How do you solve a problem like the Conti Cup?
The WSL league cup — known as the Conti Cup for sponsorship reasons — returned in the midweek for the first of the knockout rounds, cutting the field of eight down to the last four. Unlike previous seasons however, two teams were given a bye to the last eight, meaning the other 22 teams in the competition who entered at the group stage had to battle for just six berths.
It’s a move that mimics the men’s league cup, where those competing in the Champions League receive a bye into the round of 32; on the women’s side, those in the Women’s Champions League are allowed to forego the group stage and are automatically in the hat for the quarterfinals. Meaning, had Manchester City successfully navigated the qualification stages of the European club competition this season rather…
