This week, we discuss the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, which will be played in Utah beginning on June 27, and will be the first professional league (men's or women's) to resume in the United States post the COVID-19 pandemic. We present everything you need to know to follow the tournament, including the full schedule and reactions from the League Commissioner, Owners, Players and Coaches within the league. We also review a recent Deloitte report on the Sports Industry which named women's sports as one of five priorities to focus on in the future, with the 2019 Women's World Cup success a key driver. We also touch on the Liga MX Femenil terminating its 2019/20 Clausura (Closing) season early and discuss Japanese international (and American-born) Yuka Momiki joining OL Reign for the 2020 season.
NWSL Plans to Return to Play Later This Month
The NWSL announced on May 27 that it is will begin 2020 play with a tournament beginning later in June (27th) and running to the end of July (26th) in a central location in Salt Lake City, the home of the Utah Royals. The 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret will split the 9 league clubs into three groups, with each team playing the other 2 group teams twice, and then one game playoffs for the quarterfinals (among the top 8 finishers), semifinals and a championship, with the two finalists playing a total of seven games and all but one team playing at least five. Only the semifinal and championship matches will be held on the grass turf of Rio Tinto Stadium (20,507 capacity in suburban Sandy, Utah). All of the group stage matches and quarterfinal games will be played at Zions Bank Stadium (5,000 capacity) which uses an artificial turf surface and serves as home to Real Salt Lake's USL side, Real Monarchs (as well as their academy facility), which also has a majestic view of the Wasatch Mountains in the immediate background and is reminiscent of the view at Lucerne's soccer stadium in Switzerland. The main focus of the stadiums are the playing surfaces as fans will not be permitted into the games or the training sessions. This event will be aired on national television network CBS and its streaming service CBS All Access, with the first and last games on the national network. Fans outside of North America can watch the games online on Twitch, which is another new broadcast partner of the league this season. Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler told the Chicago Sun-Times earlier in May that the NWSL's tournament is a chance to bring a larger television audience to the women's game, since there are very few sports events (only Boxing, Auto Racing, Golf along with Korean Republic baseball and Bundesliga football in the past few weeks) currently available for viewing in the States over the past few months, "There are some silver linings. We're smaller. We're more nimble. We only have nine teams that we have to plan around. So our goal is to be the first ones playing again. It's easy for us to pull off because we aren't used to 40,000-plus crowds." Significantly, the NWSL will be the first league in the States in any sport to play since the NBA started the dominos of sports leagues and teams stopping play in early March due to the Coronavirus spread. Houston Dash head coach James Clarkson said later that same day on a call with the media "It's very exciting to be the first and really important that we showcase the league and the players to the highest levels. The safety of everyone is the most important thing and I believe the league has done a fantastic job at providing a safe environment for a fantastic tournament."
When asked about the fact that fans will not be permitted at the games, Clarkson said, "It is a shame that there will not be fans there, but that is the reality of where we are at the moment in the sporting landscape, so while it is frustrating, I think it is vitally important that we do get to play this for the [NWSL] and the longevity of the league. Hopefully, in the not too distant future fans are allowed back in, but I think getting the games with a platform that the League has with them being on CBS and streaming all of the games, I think it is vitally important that we get to play these games and get out there and continue all of the momentum that was really building around the league and the women's game."
In Utah, Republican Governor Gary R. Herbert reduced the Coronavirus risk status to low from moderate in the third week of May, though greater Salt Lake City is still in the moderate category. Utah in general has had a low rate of cases among the 50 U.S. States.
Teams outside of Utah are set to take charter flights to the city and stay in single rooms in a village setting at the club's training grounds (including for training ahead of the games). Utah Royals FC owner Dell Loy Hansen said in a conference call on May 27 that teams will stay at a top class Embassy Suites Hotel (with almost 200 rooms that will be reserved only for the NWSL) as well as in rooms in neighboring apartments and at the training academy. Utah Governor Herbert welcomed the first sporting event in his state in a press release issued by the Royals, "Utah is home to strong health care systems and dedicated medical professionals—and public health and safety are always a top priority for our communities. Because of those factors, I believe our state will be a great location for the National Women's Soccer League to host its competition in 2020. I'm grateful to Dell Loy Hansen for his work to find a solution that we believe will benefit the league and our community as a whole." Utah Sports Commission President and CEO Jeff Robbins, said, "We are excited to partner with the National Women's Soccer League, Utah Royals FC Owner Dell Loy Hansen, along with the support of the Governor and our legislative leadership, to play host to this unique Olympic-style tournament that will drive economic benefit and showcase Utah to the world." Without fans however, the economic benefit will not be as significant but Utah is stepping up and the teams' training and playing in the city will still benefit the community economically, which is used to hosting large events, having welcomed the Winter Olympic Games to the Beehive State in 2002.
Note: MLS is proposing to play all of its games on grass surfaces at ESPN's Wide World of Sports athletic complex in Orlando for the immediate future. Also the Premier Lacrosse League, a little-known outdoor entity that started in 2019 and toured 12 cities in 14 weeks; has announced this it will run a similar tournament from July 25 through August 9 and is expected to play a "Championship Series" in Utah, though the final site selection is still pending at press time. The Premier Lacrosse League has 7 teams for 2020 with names like Chaos Lacrosse Club, Waterdogs Lacrosse Club and the Whipsnakes Lacrosse Club (the 2019 Champions) so one assumes their profile will be quite lower than the NWSL (we can only hope).
The risks to this event for the NWSL are the limited training time that teams will have prior to the first games (the NWSL was only a week into their pre-season in March when the season was postponed and they just began group training with no coaches earlier in May and there will be no opportunity for practice games among the teams or with college squads before the tournament, as is typical in their preseason). There is also the overriding health threat that the tournament would have to be cancelled if a number of players test positive for the Coronavirus or become ill. James Clarkson referenced another competitive issue for teams outside of mountainous Salt Lake City—the altitude of 1366 meters or almost 4,500 feet, "That is one of the disadvantages we have. One of the advantages we do have is that we are able to start small-group training in Houston when other teams are not [with Texas opening up sooner than other markets such as Chicago and New York]. So, the challenge of altitude is a real one. Usually when you fly in for one game and you are there for one day it doesn't really affect you. But being there for a longer period of time, it will. I think that is where the squad becomes really important and the physical preparation for it becomes really important."
As the new coach of the host side Utah Royals FC, Head Coach Craig Harrington said about his club's role in hosting the first league games in 2020, "We're really excited. It's obviously an NWSL tournament, but it's being hosted here in Utah. It's a chance for our club to show off. It's a super club—with the facilities, with the infrastructure, with the quality of people we have behind the scenes and also working on the day-to-day soccer operations level. We've been fortunate within the state that we've been less hit than other places have. We're really excited to welcome everybody and be able to host all these world class players coming into market and put on games that hopefully the rest of the world will get some enjoyment from."
Dash Head Coach James Clarkson said about the Challenge Cup announcement (on May 27), "We are really excited. Obviously, it has been in the works for a couple of weeks, and we have finally got everything sorted out. The [NWSL] has done a fantastic job in getting everything organized and making sure that the players and everybody is going to be safe, and we are just excited. It has been 10 weeks now since we have been in lockdown, so it is great to get back onto the field and prepare for something. We basically have four and a half weeks before we go, and then we have got the tournament, so from the team's standpoint, everybody is excited and focused on it, and can't wait to get going."
So what happens post tournament? The original plan was to return to the 9 home cities for a regular season schedule of some form for the summer and fall of 2020, but there are reports that this short tournament might be it for the NWSL this year because of the global pandemic and uncertainty over whether a second wave is coming later. When asked about the possibility of in-market games after the tournament, Clarkson said, "We would love that. I think the main focus at the moment is the tournament. Making sure we are prepared and ready for that. Then it is not just evaluating our market, but the entire country to see where people are if that is possible. That is certainly something we would love to do, but as you know at the moment that is out of our control. We will focus on the tournament and we will address (playing in-market) when that becomes more clearer." NWSL Commissioner Baird, on a media conference call on May 27, would not discuss plans beyond the tournament, with the country still feeling its way out of the devastating pandemic which has taken over 100,000 lives over the past 3-plus months.
A few USWNT players have already stated that they will not play, with their 'club' contracts being with U.S. Soccer, which pays for their salaries and allocates them to individual teams. These players earn at least $72,500 for playing in the NWSL, and the federation has to keep playing these salaries even if there are no NWSL games (a league which the federation started in 2013) as long as it is not defunct. Some NWSL players are excited and committed to playing. Former U.S. National Team forward, Women's World Cup Winner in 2015 and Utah Royals Captain Amy Rodriguez said, "I'm so excited to have this competition in my own backyard. I've known firsthand that we've had the best facilities in the league and I think we're excited to show those off to people. We're hoping to provide a safe, comfortable environment for all of the players to come into this market and I'm really looking forward to it and showing off what Utah has to offer." However, according to multiple sources, most players want more information about the tournament logistics for their safety before making a final decision. Second year Orlando Pride head coach and former Birmingham City Women's manager Marc Skinner, in a media call two days later after the announcement, said that the players' final decision revolved around having more information, but that neither he nor the club are pressuring them in any way and that players "have to be mentally right" to play, "There's no pressure placed on our players to play. They have to be mentally right to go into a game rather than just physically right. If a player ever said to me that they didn't feel safe and they didn't feel like they wanted to play, it's their decision to make. I'm not going to force any player to play." Skinner did add that none of the Orlando players have opted out of playing to date. He is still waiting on three players to return from abroad where they have been stuck due to travel restrictions: Scottish international Claire Emslie, English international and 2015 and 2019 WWC midfielder Jade Moore and Australian defender Alanna Kennedy.
Commissioner Baird reinforced the point that Skinner was making when she said, "Our players want to play. They want to play safely and they wanted to be assured they could play safely, but they wanted to play. We wanted to come up with something for them because it's really about them and their play."
In an agreement with the players association, the full salaries for the 2020 season will be covered by clubs, no matter the length of the season. All contracted NWSL players will be guaranteed their 2020 salary, housing and benefits as well as receive insurance coverage for the entire 2020 calendar year. And that includes whether they play in the Challenge Cup or not. This reporter asked Commissioner Baird specifically about this issue on the May 27 conference call to announce the event, and I wanted to know "What will happen if a player does not feel safe playing in the current health environment? Will their contract be cancelled; will they be sanctioned, etc.? How do you control rosters if significant numbers of players drop out?" Baird replied that they have a collaborative agreement with the NWSLPA that contracts will be honored through the rest of the year, "We are pleased that we have received agreement with the PA through the end of the year on compensation, health insurance etc. Each player will have her own decision to make. We will not require anybody to play in the tournament." The NWSL is also accommodating players with children to allow them (and their care-givers) to be on-site during the tournament.
Baird continued, "It's an enormous challenge to try and figure out a solution that's safe with nine teams. Bigger leagues have an even harder challenge, I think. I can tell you I can get every single one of my 10 owners [including 2021 expansion franchise Louisville] on the phone when I need them. They're incredibly responsive, and building consensus has been easier because I have an ownership group that realizes the greater win right now for the league and for Americans….I think the secret is we've been small and nimble and agile."
A significant portion of the expenses are paid by Utah Royals FC owner Dell Loy Hansen and he hopes to break even on the event, via a league title sponsorship agreement with consumer products giant Procter and Gamble (P&G) and their deodorant brand Secret as presenting sponsors and with Budweiser Beer sponsoring the semifinals and final, while the league also announced a new multi-year partnership with Verizon [Telecommunications provider]. Hansen said, "Our belief is it could—could—pay for itself. But that will be seen at the end, and there are always expenses that aren't foreseen." A good portion of these expenses, which any business is now struggling to understand, are costs associated with extensive cleaning of facilities, testing for COVID-19 on a daily basis—for players and staff, which will run over $1 million at least—and social distancing protocols. Hansen also emphasized that, in the community village set up that teams will be staying in, that they can get anything that an athlete needs and will have activities for them including Ping Pong, other games for entertainment and individual practice areas.
Clarkson described the Dash's preparation for the tournament: "We are now entering into small group training this week, so we have a complete five days of small group training, and then that will lead into full-team training, which gives us four weeks of team training to prepare for the tournament. We will then obviously go to Utah, where everybody is guaranteed four games in the group stage, and the ninth team gets sent home. Then, there are quarterfinals, semifinal, and a final, so ideally we are planning to be there the whole time and we want to give it the best crack that we possibly can."
It is clearly evident for the league that player and staff health are job one and the highest priority and the league shared four separate protocol documents on procedures to follow including medical testing, player training (including a separate one if a player tests positive for COVID-19) and for the cleaning and sanitation of venues, training facilities, and housing as well as during team travel. Each player, official and essential staff member will be tested 48 hours prior to departure for Utah and upon arrival, and will be subject to consistent testing, temperature readings and symptom review throughout their stay in Utah.
2020 NWSL Challenge Cup Schedule:
(All Preliminary Round matches at Zions Bank Stadium, Times TBA)
June 27
Chicago Red Stars vs. Orlando Pride
North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns
June 30
Washington Spirit vs. Utah Royals FC
OL Reign vs. Sky Blue FC
July 1
Portland Thorns vs. Orlando Pride
North Carolina Courage vs. Houston Dash
July 4
Chicago Red Stars vs. Utah Royals FC
Washington Spirit vs. OL Reign
July 5
North Carolina Courage vs. Orlando Pride
Houston Dash vs. Sky Blue FC
July 8
Washington Spirit vs. Portland Thorns
Utah Royals FC vs. OL Reign
July 9
Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue FC
Chicago Red Stars vs. Houston Dash
July 12
Utah Royals FC vs. North Carolina Courage
Portland Thorns vs. OL Reign
July 13
Chicago Red Stars vs. Sky Blue FC
Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash
The Bookmakers William Hill has set betting odds, with two-time reigning champions North Carolina Courage favored at +160. The odds makers generally followed the 2019 Final Regular Season standings, with the other teams set at:
Chicago Red Stars +300
Portland Thorns +500
OL Reign +600
Utah Royals FC +800
Washington Spirit +1000
Houston Dash +2000
Sky Blue FC +3000
Orlando Pride +4000
I think we will see a different final table of teams 1-9 in this tournament, in part because it is a condensed format and some teams have drastically overhauled their rosters since the 2019 season ended, which we discussed in our NWSL 2020 Preview a few weeks ago: see https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/the-week-in-women-s-football-national-women-s-soccer-league-2020-season-preview-part-one-4324793 and https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/the-week-in-women-s-football-national-women-s-soccer-league-2020-season-preview-part-two-4325621.
Note: Orlando Pride coach Marc Skinner was asked on May 29 by reporters about England's FA WSL cancelling play for the remainder of the 2019-20, which we reported on last week: (see: https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/the-week-in-women-s-football-fa-make-cancellation-decision-neville-soon-to-depart-new-club-joining-uws-4328082). The former Birmingham City coach said that the FA WSL decision was made in a measured and careful way, "I know the collaboration between the teams and Football Association, I know they would have done everything in their power to ensure that it was the right decision whether they could get it back safely or not or whether it was financially viable." One thing that Skinner noted that allowed the NWSL to launch the Challenge Cup just weeks after the FA WSL and other European women's leagues in France, the Netherlands and Spain have ended their current 2019-20 schedule, was due to the, "American culture…I understand they are pioneers and leaders in terms that we have the ability here with the safety mechanisms that we have in place and safety protocols and constant reassurance of those that we are in a safe place—and that is a priority, and a priority of the commissioner and the medical group, players and staff here and from every other team. To take them in their separate situations, over here we have been given the things that we need to make sure that we can go into a tournament like this. Even the venue, that is not easy in England to host a central venue—Utah can create the village environment like an Olympics where we can control the ins and outs and who has exposure. The pioneering nature of American sports is to do that. Taking both, I think both are the right decisions." Skinner concluded by saying that he hoped that the FA WSL can continue its growth and rapid accent of recent years. "FA WSL looked into many options to get back to playing. I hope that it doesn't hit too hard not having a season for those teams that don't have Premier League money—that is really important."
OL Reign is taking a different tack from going directly to Utah to train, deciding to travel from Washington State—an early epicenter for the COVID-19 virus in the States—to picturesque Missoula, Montana (population 75,000), which provides them will top level collegiate women's soccer playing facilities, altitude training and seclusion in a state that is now fully opened and had little impact from the virus, in large part due to its sparse population. The team said it will stay in Montana until three days before the tournament starts. OL Reign CEO Bill Predmore said, "The situation in our state forced us to cultivate multiple options for preseason training outside of Tacoma. Our initial plan had been to travel to Utah for training camp, as what Utah offered was incredible, and (Utah Royals owner) Dell Loy Hansen's generosity was tremendous. Despite the very compelling opportunity in Utah, late last week we made the decision to hold our training camp in Missoula, Montana, as the unique combination of elements will provide the best and safest possible experience for our players and staff." The Reign are taking 32 players to training camp, with 24 under contact. University of Montana Grizzlies soccer coach Chris Citowicki—in his third season at the school and who took his side to the NCAA tournament in 2018 and won the Big Sky regular season championship last season—said, "We're extremely honored to have a program of this caliber use our facilities and train on our field and be in this community. It's a perfect mix of who they are as a program and what their identity is and what ours is." South Campus Stadium's playing surface was redone last summer. The Reign also will train in the Washington-Grizzly Champions Center within the strict guidelines being followed by Grizzly student-athletes, who have just recently been allowed to use the facility again. Every member of the Reign travel party was tested for the coronavirus late last week and was required to have a negative result before being allowed to depart Washington. They will undergo weekly COVID-19 testing while in Missoula and follow both NWSL medical protocol and state of Montana restrictions. OL Reign will also become accustomed to altitude in Western Montana, though the city at 3,209 feet (978 meters) is not as high as Salt Lake City. Unfortunately Megan Rapinoe, a two-time Women's World Cup Champion with the American side, will not accompany her teammates to the training camp, with her reasons a little unclear at this point, but undoubtedly centered on health reasons.
Deloitte Report on the 2020 Sports Industry Cites Women's Sports as a Trend to Focus on
The Deloitte Center for Technology, Media and Telecommunications recently issued a 12 page summary of their 2020 Sports Industry Outlook, the fifth edition of their report to predict trends, "that will dominate and disrupt the sports industry over the next 12 months," which focused on five areas: Women's Sports, eSports, Gambling, College Athletes and 5G's impact on sports. Note: The report was compiled prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which certainly overcoming the economic effects of this situation will be number 1 for next year.
The Deloitte Report felt that overall, "Women's sports continue to build momentum. Influenced by the 2019 Women's World Cup soccer event, inspirational performers such as tennis legend Serena Williams, the emergence of youthful stars like 15-year-old tennis phenom Coco Gauff, and the continued growth of the WNBA, many companies now view women's sports as a powerful diversity and inclusion platform. The momentum around women's sports has also opened unparalleled opportunities for the creation of new professional leagues, franchises, corporate sponsorships, and increased ticket sales."
Deloitte found this "groundswell (before the pandemic) represented a tipping point for women's sports and that we should see women's professional sports grow." See my recent article where I discuss the concern that the pandemic's global economic effects could put a brake on this (https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/the-week-in-women-s-football-what-does-the-future-look-like-in-a-post-coronavirus-world-4326432). This report, along with a recent one by FIFPRO, the international player's union which represents over 65,000 professional player worldwide—which we will discuss in next week's column—shows that there was considerable interest and potential in the women's game, particularly on the marketing side, and that this must be pursued post-pandemic, even though many companies (and individuals) will have less money to spend on sports in general.
Deloitte listed challenges for women's sports to overcome including, smaller prize pools, lower overall attendance, less attractive broadcast exposure, and fewer sponsorship dollars. Three key constituencies should play vital roles for these efforts: 1) Sports organizations through their investment in women's sports, 2) Sponsors, "capitalizing on the new opportunities" and 3) Broadcasters "who drive overall interest in women's sports by contributing to the value of current deals."
The report lists some specific opportunities to purse over the next year:
"Marketing products and services to young female athletes and non-athletes alike via youthful national icons, such as tennis's Naomi Osaka and Olympic snowboarding gold medalist Chloe Kim" [we would add 2019 Women's World Cup stars such as Rose Lavelle and Crystal Dunn among others in international markets to this list, which we will discuss more next week].
"Championing relevant topics, such as inclusion and diversity, via social media channels."
"Supporting year-round female sports (such as the WNBA, college sports, and soccer friendlies) by leveraging the momentum generated by the record-breaking year for women's sports in 2019."
"More corporate sponsorships at professional sporting events to further enhance support, interest, and participation in athletics."
The report stated that one area that could facilitate growth for women's sports in general would be to break the model in which women's leagues mirror men's, in order to create "new and different opportunities." This is an important point but they did not point out suggestions on how to do this and this goal remains a bit of an elusive concept for many in the game.
The report did champion inclusive hiring strategies in sports, at both the team and league level. The section on women's sports concluded with one potential highlight:
"The potential for the largest attendance at a stand-alone women's sporting event during the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Final in cricket (Melbourne Cricket Ground has a seating capacity of more than 100,000)."
Note: The Women's Cricket World Cup (the seventh to be held) was staged in Australia from February 21 through March 8, 2020, finishing just before the country shut down sports because of the global pandemic. The final, held on International Women's Day and won by Australia over India, saw 86,714 people attend, a record for a women's sporting event in Australia, but failing to break the global record of 99,185 set at the 1999 Women's World Cup Final, despite singer Katy Perry performing in Melbourne at the event.
This Deloitte report does validate the growth and potential of our game before the pandemic—we hope that the leaders of our sport can guide us out of the pandemic crisis and still leverage that potential for further growth.
Liga MX Femenil is Done for 2019/20 Clausura with No Champion Declared
Liga MX has shut down both its men's and women's leagues due to the coronavirus, which is still peaking in Mexico. The men's league was shut down with seven games remaining in the first phase of the Torneo Clausura, the second of two split seasons. Liga MX Femenil also shut down after the Clausura's matchday 10 though it had seven outstanding makeup games and then the playoffs to hold to determine the champion. Perennial power UANL Tigres was top of the table with 22 points after 8 games, tied with Atlas who had the same number of points but had played one more game and trailed Tigres on goal difference (+17 to Tigres versus +11 for Atlas). The economic impact of closing the Clausura down early could reach 2 billion pesos ($88 million) in losses. The next Apertura season is scheduled to begin in July, but its start will be dependent on when clubs get permission from health authorities to resume activities.
OL Reign signs Japanese-American international Yuka Momiki for 2020
On May 22, 2020, OL Reign (Seattle/Tacoma) announced that they had signed Japanese international forward Yuka Momiki from Nippon TV Beleza in Japan's Nadeshiko League for 2020. NTV Beleza is the most successful club in Nadeshiko League history, with 17 titles (including six since 2010) and 14 Empress' Cups; since joining the senior women's club side in 2011, Momiki has been a part of five league titles, four Empress Cups, three Nadeshiko League Cups and the 2019 AFC Women's Club Championship [which we reported on in December of 2019, which included champions from China, Korea Republic and Australia in the first ever continental women's club championship—see: https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/the-week-in-women-s-football-w-league-midseason-review-4309825).
In 2019, Momiki made 17 league appearances, scoring four goals and seven assists and was a Nadeshiko League Best XI selection in 2016 and 2017. At the national team level, after appearing in the 2012 U-17 Women's World Cup (where they fell to Ghana 1-0 in the quarterfinals) and 2016 Women's World Cup (defeating the U.S. 1-0 for third place) she made the full squad in 2017 and was on Japan's 2019 Women's World Cup team, making one appearance as a sub in the 2-1 loss to the Netherlands in the round of 16.
Momiki was born in New York City but played youth ball in Japan in NTV Beleza's system. As an American citizen, she will not count as an international player for the club's four international player's spots. OL Reign CEO Bill Predmore said about the new signing: "Yuka is a young, dynamic player with tremendous potential that we believe will play an important role in our club this season and far into the future. We thank NTV Beleza for their willingness to allow Yuka to join our club at this time." Momiki is the third Japanese international in the club's history—joining Naho Kawasumi (2014, 2016-18) and Rumi Utsugi (2016-19).
Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribal Football. His latest book Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women's football. Get your copy today.
Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimGrainey
