Red Stars Survive Sky Blue's Comeback Bid, Earn Trip to NWSL's Challenge Cup Final

In a surprising turn of events, the two teams combined for one of the wildest games of the Utah tournament.

After 22 games involving eight teams, the NWSL Challenge Cup is down to two clubs. The Chicago Red Stars punched a ticket to Sunday's championship game with a surprisingly thrilling 3–2 victory over Sky Blue FC on Wednesday night, setting up a final with the Houston Dash, who beat the Portland Thorns earlier in the day. Bianca St. Georges, Rachel Hill and Savannah McCaskill all scored their first goals of the tournament to lead Chicago to what turned into a tense win at Rio Tinto Stadium. While this isn't a regular NWSL season, it'll be the second straight championship appearance for the Red Stars, who lost to the North Carolina Courage in 2019's final.

Here are three thoughts on the match:

An unlikely offensive explosion

It had been 23 days since a Challenge Cup game featured both teams scoring multiple goals, and the Red Stars-Sky Blue semifinal didn't seem likely to change that narrative. On top of the fatigue that has been hitting every team deep into the competition, the two teams entered Wednesday with just two goals apiece in the Cup. Naturally, then, they combined for one of the wildest games of the tournament.

Chicago looked like it might cruise to victory after coming out of the gate with its foot on the gas pedal. By the 11th minute, it had already doubled its scoring total for the tournament, thanks to the first NWSL goal of defender Bianca St. Georges (who gave one of the best reactions of the tourney) and a cool finish from forward Rachel Hill to make it 2–0.

💥 @r_hill3 doubles Chicago's lead 💥

0-2 | #NJvCHI

Tune in now on @CBSAllAccess and @Twitch.#NWSLChallengeCup pic.twitter.com/g7pc9N1y13

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 23, 2020

After Savannah McCaskill put the Red Stars up 3–0 in the 60th minute on a counter, Chicago looked all but certain for a spot in the championship game. A 72nd-minute goal by Sky Blue rookie Evelyne Viens looked relatively harmless until five minutes later, when Midge Purce, springing free from her fullback position, blew past the Red Stars defense to the end line before putting in a cross that created the rare sight of a Julie Ertz own goal.

😳 Superb from @100Purcent, and knocked in by Ertz.

Game on in Utah. 👀

3-2 | #CHIvNJ

Tune in now on @CBSAllAccess and @Twitch.#NWSLChallengeCup pic.twitter.com/DYdpvU1hJu

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 23, 2020

Ertz's miscue, which cut her team's lead to 3–2, upped the ante for the match's final 13 minutes, but Sky Blue's attempts at a late equalizer fell in vain.

Despite seeing their comfortable lead evaporate, the Red Stars should carry plenty of momentum into Sunday's championship. Their only goals entering Wednesday came via midfielder Morgan Gautrat and defender Casey Short—both of whom were sidelined Wednesday—and there was a real concern on whether Chicago had enough attacking presence to take home the crown. Against Sky Blue, the Red Stars converted on three of their four shots on goal, featuring three different goal-scorers within the run of play. That's big for a team that desperately needed some confidence in the attack, and it just might be figuring things out at the perfect time.

Sky Blue can still hold its head high

While Sky Blue making the Challenge Cup final would've been an amazing story for a club that went 1-17-6 just two years ago and has turned its whole reputation around, it should consider its semifinal run a success. Pre-tournament injuries that kept Carli Lloyd, Mal Pugh, Caprice Dydasco and Madison Tiernan out of the tournament tempered a lot of the optimism for 2020 that Sky Blue had garnered for its offseason moves, and it seemed like this team might need to wait until 2021 to see the vision for GM Alyse LaHue's rebuild take shape. While there's still a ways to go for this team to be a true contender over a full season—ways that will be aided by the healthy return of the aforementioned injured players—it can look at the Challenge Cup as a definite step forward.

Sky Blue's 2–0 preliminary round win over the Dash was a clear example of the club's potential, and it can look back on both that match and Wednesday's semifinal as a blueprint as it builds toward the future. The tournament also saw the NWSL debut of 26-year-old Ghana native Jennifer Cudjoe, who earned a short-term contract for the Challenge Cup and turned it into a breakout performance in the midfield. And while Purce—arguably the team's best attacking option—controversially spent the tournament on the back line, it's clear her positioning is part of coach Freya Coombe's long-term strategy. If nothing else, these games gave her more valuable experience at fullback.

The stage is set for Sunday's final

In the end, the Challenge Cup championship game (which will be nationally broadcast on CBS at 12:30 p.m. ET) features one team that would've been expected a month ago (Chicago) and one that was not at all supposed to be here (Houston). Don't let the fact that the Dash are the higher-seeded team fool you; they'll still be underdogs on paper, even if at this point no one will be surprised to see them raising the trophy. The Red Stars are dealing with a rash of injuries, and it's unclear who all will be available Sunday, but their healthy core is made up of players who have plenty of NWSL playoff experience. They'll also have the best player on either roster in Ertz, as well as USWNT starting keeper Alyssa Naeher minding the net. 

Houston, meanwhile, has never been known for its defense, but the club has not conceded through two knockout rounds. Center back Megan Oyster seems unlikely to play again on Sunday with a broken rib, but Ally Prisock filled in admirably against Portland and figures to slot in on Sunday as well. 

In an intriguing side plot, the club will also be facing its former captain, forward Kealia Watt (née Ohai), who was traded to Chicago over the offseason and is still seeking her first goal with her new club. Houston's new co-captain, Rachel Daly, meanwhile, will look to complete her pursuit of the tournament's Golden Boot while leading the Dash to one more victory. 

One thing we know for certain? Whichever team lifts the trophy will take home its first-ever NWSL hardware, capping a memorable month for the league in style.