OL Reign to Compete in 2022 Edition of The Women’s Cup in Louisville
OL Reign today announced that it will be competing in the 2022 Women’s Cup in Louisville, Kentucky in August. The tournament will debut an expanded format featuring six world-class teams playing seven games across a week.
The competition is set to include six teams in 2022 – two NWSL teams and four international teams. This year’s international participants will include Liga MX Femenil’s Club América from Mexico and the WE League’s Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza from Japan. Two name-brand European participants will be announced later this spring. OL Reign and Racing Louisville are the NWSL participants set to compete in 2022.
“OL Reign is excited and honored to participate in The Women’s Cup this year,” said OL Reign General Manager, Nick Perera. “This is a wonderful opportunity to compete at a world-class event against top-caliber teams from across the globe, as well as showcase our organization and our league.”
The first international competitor in the tournament, Club América, was established in 2016 as the women's side of the massive Mexico City-based organization. The team won a Liga MX Femenil title in 2018 and is one of the only four clubs to do so. Prolific scorer Daniela Espinosa, also a member of Mexico's national team, captains Club América.
The second international competitor in the tournament is, Tokyo Verdy Beleza, is Japan's only women's soccer club to have never been relegated from the top flight, finishing first or second in its league every year since 1997. The side boasts a number of tournament trophies, including a record 15 titles in the Empress's Cup and three domestic trebles which includes winning the Nadeshiko League, League Cup and Empress's Cup.
OL Reign’s most familiar competitor, Racing Louisville, were champions of last year’s Women’s Cup. The team has started the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup with a 1-1-2 record, most recently capturing an impressive 3-0 victory over Kansas City. The 2021 NWSL expansion team hosted last year’s Women’s Cup, as well as the NWSL Championship at Lynn Family Stadium.
This tournament takes place completely outside of regular-season NWSL schedule, while the teams visiting from Europe will arrive in the final stages of their preseasons.
The Women’s Cup will open with the international clubs competing in quarterfinal matches on Sunday, August 14. On Wednesday, August 17, the winners will meet OL Reign and Racing Louisville in the semifinals, while the two losing teams will battle for fifth place. The final and third-place matches will be played on Saturday, August 20.
Tickets and parking are on sale now at TheWomensCup.world for all three days of the competition.