Gotham FC beat the Kansas City Current 2-0 to claim the National Womens Soccer League (NWSL) Challenge Cup Championship. The teams faced off at the ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio. The field is home to the newest NWSL franchise that is set to begin play in 2028.
The NWSL Challenge Cup began in 2020 as a tournament. It began with a group stage where teams would play up to six games based on geographic location. The teams that played the best during the group stage would advance to the knockout stage and continue advancing through the tournament until the final.
In 2024, the Challenge Cup transitioned into a supercup match. Supercup games are typically matchups between teams who reached a certain amount of success in the previous season. For the NWSL, the game features the previous season’s NWSL Shield Winner and NWSL Champion. While the Challenge Cup is a high-profile match, it does not count toward either participant’s regular season record.
On June 26, the reigning NWSL Champions, Gotham FC, won the franchise’s first Challenge Cup. The club had previously played in the Challenge Cup in 2021 and 2024, but lost to the Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave, respectively.
The Current, the reigning NWSL Shield Winner, went into the match up ranked higher than Gotham in the league standings. Kansas City is the only NWSL team that is still undefeated on their home field, while Gotham has similar home and away records. The neutral field allowed Gotham to take advantage and was even able to secure a shutout.
Forwards Esther González and Jordynn Dudley scored Gotham’s two goals of the match. González scored on a penalty kick toward the end of the first half while Dudley forced a turnover in the second half and was able to find the back of the net.
As the NWSL returns to regular season play, both teams will look to maintain their playoff seeding. Gotham has a new look as star forward Sam Kerr returns to the NWSL after six-and-a-half years, and the Current hope to remain undefeated at home.
Featured image via Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images.
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