First up this weekend, airing on CBS at 1 pm ET is the North Carolina Courage against the Washington Spirit. There’s a lot on the line with this matchup, a win or draw against the Spirit is all North Carolina needs to advance to the Challenge Cup semifinals, while a Spirit win would not only break up the Courage’s undefeated run, but would vault Washington into first place and into the semis.
In their two all-time Challenge Cup meetings, NJ/NY Gotham FC has earned a narrow 1-0 victory over the Orlando Pride each time. Outside the Challenge Cup, the Pride have scored at least one goal in 13 of their 14 meetings with Gotham FC and will now look to reverse their tournament trend and get their first win of the 2022 Challenge Cup.
Looking to round out an undefeated group stage, which has so far included three multi-goal games, OL Reign is in position to clinch the top spot in the West with either a win or a draw against the San Diego Wave.
It is a must-win scenario for the Chicago Red Stars to clinch a semi-final berth over the Kansas City Current, who will finish atop the Central region with a win or draw against the Red Stars.
The Houston Dash enter Sunday’s game on a three-game losing streak. However, Houston is on a three-game winning streak against Louisville. Meanwhile, Racing Louisville are enjoying their first three-game unbeaten streak in Challenge Cup history. Fans can expect this matchup to be just as close as the last.
The Portland Thorns could claim first place in the West Division with a win over Angel City and a Reign loss by two or more goals. A strong showing by the Thorns will also give them a shot at the wild card entry into the semifinals.
