The NWSL does need more competition formats beyond the regular season and playoffs, and the Challenge Cup fits the bill there. Plus, don’t forget, a new incoming NWSL commissioner in April once Jessica Berman wraps up her time with the National Lacrosse League. We’ll count Scott Parkinson heading to Gotham mid-season last year, plus Coombe leading Angel City for 2022, here too. They’re almost certainly not the only ones, especially with how many new coaches - or interim ones made permanent, like the Spirit’s Kris Ward and North Carolina’s Sean Nahas - there are across the league, with Stoney, Amanda Cromwell in Orlando, Rhian Wilkinson in Portland, Kim Björkegren in Louisville, Matt Potter in Kansas City and Chris Petrucelli in Chicago. Two new expansion teams in Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC will get their first meaningful games against other NWSL competition, but both Freya Coombe and Casey Stoney have been pretty clear that they view this as more of a test run and development opportunity than a trophy they plan on winning right out of the gate. We should adjust our expectations when it comes to this edition of the tournament. Now, the NWSL is back to considering more defining questions about the direction of the league and its growth, and where and how a tournament like the Challenge Cup fits in. A year later, there’s no question about either of those things. But since it also marked the return to matches in home stadiums with fans, the league positioned the Challenge Cup as a test run, but a fun one. It gave the league some cushion in case COVID-19 affected matches. A year ago, I wrote that the Challenge Cup as a preseason tournament was the right level of ambition for the NWSL, especially considering the state of the pandemic at the time.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |