The first trophy of the new NWSL campaign has been claimed by the North Carolina Courage, who won the 2022 Challenge Cup with a 2-1 victory over the Washington Spirit on Saturday, May 7. The intensely contested affair saw the Courage, who earned hosting rights by finishing first in the East Division, take a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute. Washington found the equalizer in the 35th when Trinity Rodman slipped a ball through the Courage defense for an on-rushing Ashley Hatch. The reigning Golden Boot winner one-timed her shot across the frame of goal, tucking it inside the bottom right corner to level the score at 1-1. It was Hatch’s league-leading sixth goal of the 2022 Challenge Cup and her seventh goal in nine appearances for the Spirit this year across all competitions.
WATCH: HATCH SCORES SPIRIT EQUALIZER
With the win, the Courage became the third different club to win the Challenge Cup, joining inaugural winner Houston Dash (2020) and Portland Thorns FC (2021).
North Carolina reached the final following a 2-1 road win over Central Division winners Kansas City Current on Wednesday, May 4, while Washington advanced to championship game after defeating OL Reign on penalty kicks, 9-8. Scoreless after 90 minutes, it took 10 rounds of penalties for either team to claim victory in the shootout, with Aubrey Kingsbury saving Jess Fishlock’s attempt in the 10th round to send the Spirit through. Kingsbury, who also saved the Reign’s eighth attempt, converted her own kick from the spot as the third shooter for the Spirit.
WATCH: KINGSBURY COMES UP CLUTCH
Alex Morgan put together a stellar offensive showing on Saturday evening, scoring all four goals in San Diego Wave FC’s 4-0 victory over visiting NJ/NY Gotham FC. Morgan, who became just the third player in NWSL history to score four goals in a single match, scored her first two goals from the penalty spot as she converted an attempt in first-half stoppage time and then again in the 66th. In the 70th minute, Morgan won the ball off the Gotham defense in the penalty area before swiftly turning and finishing to complete the hat trick. Her fourth and final goal of the night came on a run down the left flank in the first minute of stoppage time as the Wave made it two wins in two games to start their first season in NWSL.
WATCH: FOUR SCORE(S) FOR MORGAN
Fellow expansion side Angel City FC also looked to make it two wins in two games, hosting the Orlando Pride on Sunday evening. However, the Pride scored in the third minute and defended the 1-0 lead throughout the rest of the match to come away with their first victory of the 2022 campaign.
The Houston Dash also picked up their first win of the regular season, defeating the Current, 2-0, while OL Reign and Racing Louisville played to a 2-2 draw at Seattle’s Lumen Field.
With just two match days remaining in Division 1 Féminine, Olympique Lyon further solidified its spot atop the French league standings with a 2-0 victory over Paris FC on Sunday morning. Catarina Macario assisted on Lyon’s second goal in the 61st minute and Lindsey Horan also played the full 90 as OL now firmly controls its own fate in the league title race, five points ahead of rival PSG, who it will face on May 28 in a match that could determine the league champion. The league title is one of two major trophies Lyon is in contention for in the coming weeks, with a showdown against Barcelona in the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final looming on May 21.
Information on upcoming matches featuring U.S. Women’s National Team players can be found below. All times listed are ET.
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Friday, May 13 |
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NWSL: Portland Thorns FC vs. OL Reign |
10:30 p.m. |
CBS Sports Network |
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Saturday, May 14 |
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NWSL: Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current |
6:30 p.m. |
Paramount+ |
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NWSL: NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. North Carolina Courage |
7 p.m. |
Paramount+ |
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NWSL: Racing Louisville FC vs. Houston Dash |
8 p.m. |
Twitch |
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Sunday, May 15 |
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NWSL: San Diego Wave FC vs. Chicago Red Stars |
5 p.m. |
Paramount+ |
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NWSL: Washington Spirit vs. Angel City FC |
5 p.m. |
Paramount+ |