Thorns Take Aim at 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup

The NWSL announced its full schedule for the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup on Tuesday. The 25-game tournament will be held in Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah with no spectators in attendance. The NWSL will be the first American professional sports league to go live since the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to fans filling stadiums and arenas around the country to support their favorite teams. The opportunity to be the first league back gives Thorns players and the rest of the league a chance to showcase women’s soccer in a new kind of spotlight. One of the newest Thorns, Rocky Rodriguez, spoke to reporters on Wednesday and acknowledged the excitement of returning to action.

“It’s exciting on one end and on the other it’s a big risk, big reward” Rodriguez said. She explained being the first league back gives other leagues the chance to learn from any of their missteps along the way, but highlighted the importance in growing the league by catching the attention of new viewers and building momentum from the tournament.

How bright of a spotlight can the NWSL expect? For starters, the Thorns opening match against the North Carolina Courage on June 27th marks the first time professional women’s club soccer will be seen live on a national broadcast network (CBS) in the United States. Aside from the tournament final, all other games will be broadcast through CBS All Access for US and Canadian viewers. Those outside of the US and Canada will be able to watch the entire tournament on Twitch.

Heading to Utah for Portland will be a revamped squad that saw another change on Wednesday. The club announced the transfer of defender Ellie Carpenter to Division 1 Féminine club Olympique Lyonnais. Though the move came as a surprise, owner Merritt Paulson shared via Twitter, “Ellie wanted this ..she had just signed a multi yr deal w us and we love her. But COVID hit and Lyon made a move and its the best thing for her now and we respect that. Hopefully she will be back. She has ability to be top right back in woso.” Despite the loss of Carpenter, the Thorns remain as potent as ever with a roster stacked with talent and intrigue.

2020 NWSL Challenge Cup Broadcast Schedule

**All games will be streamed outside the U.S. and Canada on Twitch**
**All games will re-air on CBS Sports Network**