NWSL Releases Details of Challenge Cup Schedule

The NWSL released details of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup schedule today, with the Orlando Pride playing three 10 p.m. (ET) games and one match at 12:30 p.m. on a weekday. So rest up, Pride fans, and also make sure you save up some PTO for Wednesday, July 1, when Orlando will square off with the Portland Thorns in the early afternoon.

All of the Pride’s matches will be on CBS All Access, so if you aren’t a subscriber yet, now’s the time. You may also be able to get a one-week free trial to get you through the group stage.

“The NWSL and our players are proud to lead the return to play in the confident and bold manner our fans have come to expect,” said NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird. “The NWSL Challenge Cup presented by P&G and their Secret deodorant brand will feature the best women soccer players in the world on an innovative stage built for the times. And thanks to CBS, more Americans than ever will be able to watch. I can’t wait to get started.”

Here is the schedule the Pride will face in the Challenge Cup in Utah:

• Sat. June 27, 10 p.m. ET — vs. Chicago Red Stars (CBS All Access)
• Wed., July 1 , 12:30 p.m. ET — vs. Portland Thorns (CBS All Access)
• Sun., July 5, 10 p.m. ET — vs. North Carolina Courage (CBS All Access)
• Thurs., July 9, 10 p.m. ET — vs. Sky Blue FC (CBS All Access)

To recap, Orlando will face three of last year’s playoff teams, including back-to-back defending champion North Carolina. The Courage have won the championship three of the last four years (although they were still the Western New York Flash for the first of those, back in 2016). The other team to capture the title in those four years? Portland. Chicago was last year’s runner-up. Sky Blue hasn’t finished high in the table in recent years, but is vastly improved entering 2020.

The top eight of the nine NWSL teams after the group stage will move on to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals begin on Friday, July 17, with the semifinals taking place Wednesday, July 22, and the final on Sunday, July 26. The final and the opening match between Portland and North Carolina will be broadcast nationally on CBS as well as CBS All Access.