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The 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup kicks off tonight as 10 of the National Women’s Soccer League’s 12 teams take the pitch in yet another variation of the ever-evolving tournament. The tournament has undergone some major changes since its inception as a way for the league to get back on the pitch during the COVID-19 pandemic and 2023 is no exception.
As we look ahead to kickoff later this evening, let’s take a quick look at how the Challenge Cup has evolved in 2023 and what the purpose of the tournament actually is — if there even is one.
Scheduling woes (mostly) fixed
For the first time, the 2023 Challenge Cup will be running concurrently with the NWSL regular season. This is a major change after two years of it being played as a preseason tournament that not only drastically delayed the start of the regular season, but also created scheduling debacles. For example, in 2022, OL Reign was the best-performing team in the Challenge Cup but lost the home-field advantage to the Washington Spirit…
