Immortality Awaits

The final group stage matches have come to a close, and the semifinals of the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup are set. Angel City snatched its first win of the competition as it played spoiler by eliminating Portland Thorns with a 1-0 victory in the last match of the group stage. Christen Press’s first-half penalty saved Washington Spirit following their draw against North Carolina Courage. Kansas City Current will face off against the Courage in the two vs three battle in the semifinals. The top-seeded OL Reign head into the semifinals against the defending NWSL Champion Washington Spirit which could be one of the best matches of this season's competition. None of the teams that are left in the competition have made it to the final of the Challenge Cup, so this season a new franchise will be hoisting the title for the first time. In a little over a week, four teams will battle it out for the right to advance to the third ever NWSL Challenge Cup Final. Before the contests kick-off, here is what to look for in both of these semifinal fixtures:

C/O: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

1. Semifinal #1: 1. OL Reign vs 4. Washington Spirit (Wednesday, May 4, 2022, Segra Field, 8:00 pm EST):

It is a clash between arguably the most talented and hottest team in the Challenge Cup top to bottom against the defending NWSL champions and its potent attack. The Spirit have ridden their own rollercoaster ride the entire competition. Starting off with a shocking draw against Orlando Pride, Washington looked like it lacked the attitude it had in bunches during its end-of-the-season run. A 2-2 draw against the Courage where Washington came back from two goals down ignited a spark into Kris Ward and his crew heading into the final three matches.

In the first match of the regular season, OL Reign and Washington Spirit will work the kinks out against each other in a low-stakes match before the teams battle for a place in the Challenge Cup final. Both teams play each other twice in the span of just three days. Ward and Harvey will be tasked not to show their entire hand in the first game of the regular season. The quality of Trinity Rodman, Ashley Sanchez, and the rest of the frontline for the Spirit is what this team has relied on and will have to rely on in order to win the Challenge Cup. Washington is the only team in the NWSL that has two or more players with four or more goals in the Challenge Cup. A draw against the Courage in reality is disappointing given the fact that it could have led to their elimination, but their ability to save their season from down 2-1 shows a lot of character for a team that looked lost at the start.

There is not a lot of negativity and apprehension when it comes to OL Reign so far this year. A tie against a team that the world knows can put the ball in the back of the net is a mediocre result, but it leaves the Spirit with some knowledge of how they can exploit them in their next two meetings. San Diego showed the flaws that OL Reign possesses in guarding set-pieces and clearing the ball in the box. Lots of danger in the final match of the Challenge Cup for San Diego was created due to OL Reign's inconsistency in the box when it came to taking charge over the attacking players.

Seeing Angel City finally grab a result in the Challenge Cup was well-deserved given the long road this squad has gone through during these two months. Freya Coombe destroyed the possibility of another rivalry match between the Thorns and OL Reign. While the emotions would have been high in that match, Washington Spirit provides even more of a threat even though the animosity is not present between the two. Jess Fishlock, and Rose Lavelle captain a squad that possesses an in-form Ally Watt up top, and a backline that has plenty of creativity and potential going forward. Overall, this match is going to be a thriller that is going to go down to the final 10 minutes ultimately, but the quality of OL Reign in the middle of the pitch will be the difference in taking down a team that has been full of inconsistencies over the past two months.

Result:

2-1, OL Reign, Rose Lavelle leads the way

2. Semifinal #2: 2. Kansas City Current vs 3. North Carolina Courage (Wednesday, May 4, 2022, Children's Mercy Park, 10:00 pm EST):

The underdog story of the Kansas City Current will take on the top-seeded team in the East Division, North Carolina Courage. Both teams will have a contest in the NWSL regular season before the Challenge Cup semifinal fixture begins. Matt Potter and the Current are only the second team in the Challenge Cup to come away with four wins, the other team, OL Reign. A goal from the machine herself, Kristen Hamilton in the 76' dumped Chicago Red Stars out of the Challenge Cup and gave the Current a home match in the semifinals. Arguably the two most essential moves to improve Kansas City this season have not affected the outcome of the competition at all. No Lynn Williams, and no Sam Mewis for the majority of the competition. Potter has figured out an astounding way to get the best out of the players at his current disposal.

Following the dramatic win at home, Current head coach Matt Potter spoke about the future of his team, stating, "The rookies that are coming in are playing for a reason...I'm a big believer that if you're good enough, you're old enough. They're certainly proving on this stage that they belong. We believe their best days are ahead of them but they're certainly making an impact and doing the job that they need to do while other players are working their way back."

Heading into the match, North Carolina should be the favorite given its consistency throughout the entire competition. From start to finish, the Courage have been solid on both sides of the pitch with the combination of Debinha and her creativity, and the solid defense led by Carson Pickett and the return of Jaelene Daniels. The unique 4-3-1-2 formation put out by Sean Nahas with a player like Dehinha at the base of the attack pulling all of the strings is what makes this team so dangerous. The experience and talent of players on both ends of the pitch is a massive reason for some of the surprising amount of success North Carolina is currently going through.

There is just something about the Current that just breathes a will to win at all costs. Potter has cemented himself as one of the top coaches in the league with his ability to adapt on the fly with a squad that was filled with injuries like Hallie Mace during the competition. At the young age of 24, Elyse Bennett is growing into her own since being drafted with the seventh overall pick in last season's draft. Hamilton, Bennett alongside Lo’eau LaBonta and Victoria Pickett make this Current side unpredictable and dangerous at the same time. This match is ultimately going to come down to the chess match between Nahas, and Potter. Debinha is the x-factor and the player that can tilt the contest into North Carolina's favor. Kansas City has a lot of work to do to be able to minimize the impact of the Brazilian superstar, but the competitiveness, and spirit of this Current squad are something that can't be measured.

Result:

2-1, Kansas City Current, Bennett continues to be a problem