The 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup is over, with the Thorns taking home the trophy after edging Gotham FC in penalties in Saturday’s championship game. Portland and New Jersey/New York earned their spots in the final by winning their respective divisions, making the tournament a condensed version of last summer’s Challenge Cup but still a worthwhile endeavor.
While this year’s event didn’t carry quite the weight of the 2020 one in Utah—serving this time more as a preseason booster that partly took place during an international window, with key absences for certain group-round games—it was a chance for teams to make an early statement or get a jump on incorporating new pieces heading into the regular season.