WHERE TO WATCH
US: CBS
International and Canada: Twitch

After four thrilling preliminary matches, the Portland Thorns will host NJ/NY Gotham FC in the second iteration of the NWSL Challenge Cup Championship tomorrow at 1pm ET, with broadcast live on CBS. Additionally, the postgame Champions Ceremony will be broadcast live on Paramount+.

The Portland Thorns, who begun a rebuild as a “New Thorns” side last summer, have been a forced to be reckoned with this spring. The high-powered creativity of Portland’s midfield has led to the third most shots (50) and second most shots on target (22) of the tournament. It’s not only the attack that has bred success, as the Thorns were tied for the lowest goals-against yield with two.

“The center of our formation is the heartbeat of our team. It makes things tick,” said defender Meghan Klingenberg on the Thorns mercurial midfield core. “I think a lot of them are completely underrated. And I’m talking about like even Christian Sinclair. To me, she’s the freaking GOAT. People don’t understand how much work that our midfield does for our group. They are our engine.”

The match is also significant for Rocky Rodriguez, the midfielder who was drafted by and spent four years for then-named Sky Blue FC, picking up Rookie of the Year honors in 2017. The Costa Rican has been electric for the Thorns this season and has not faced her former team since being traded for Midge Purce in January 2020.

Visiting NJ/NY Gotham FC have gone through a rebuild of their own, with Freya Coombe’s possession-based style of play being implemented since her arrival in September of 2019. The strategy has been incredibly difficult to play against, with Coombe’s side leading the league in total passes (1,895), successful passes (1,511), and passes per 90 mins (473.8). They join the hosts and the Houston Dash as the only three undefeated teams in the tournament and are second to the Thorns in goal differential.

“I’m excited for this team,” said second-year forward, Evelyne Viens. “We have a good style of play; I honestly love watching us. We have a great team; we move the ball, create opportunities, and now we have a chance to win a Championship. This is our desire, we want to be the best team in this league, and playing in a final means we’re getting there.”

Much like the Thorns, Gotham FC bring players with experience with their opponents. Midge Purce, who was traded for Rocky Rodriguez, spent two successful years in Portland, netting eight goals in the process. Allie Long, who was recently acquired from OL Reign, spent half a decade in The Rose City, scoring thirty goals and capturing two league titles with the Thorns. While Long has faced her former side numerous times, this will be Purce’s first time to do so.

In addition to being nationally televised on CBS in the United States, fans in Canada and outside of North America will be able to stream the match on Twitch.