The Women’s Cup 2022 Quarterfinals Preview

August 12, 2022
By Rohtas Wadera

The second edition of the Women’s Cup takes place in Louisville, with six teams from around the world squaring off for the trophy. Last year Racing Louisville was able to maintain their home field advantage and win the inaugural version of the competition. The Women’s Cup is truly a unique opportunity to see matchups we would never see otherwise. While it is strange to see the NWSL teams get a free pass into the semifinal, hopefully, this tournament expands to eight teams as its popularity grows. Let’s take a closer look at the quarterfinal matchups from the Women’s Cup 2022.

Quarterfinals

AC Milan vs. Tokyo Verdy Beleza, August 14, 4:00 PM ET/1:00 PM PT, Paramount+

This has to be one of the more unique matchups in the history of women’s soccer. AC Milan hasn’t been around for long, their first season was 2018-2019, but they’ve made a big impact in qualifying for the Champions League since their creation. However, their opponent is a team that has been around for much longer. Tokyo Verdy Beleza was founded in 1981, and Japan has really been a progressive country with women in sports.

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This team was created two years before the USWNT even existed. Both sides feature at least one familiar face, Kosovare Asllani, the Swedish international is AC Milan’s star player. In comparison, Tokyo’s most notable player for NWSL fans is former Reign player Rumi Utsugi. Tokyo comes to America as relatively unknown to the entire western hemisphere.

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If anyone has found a way to watch their games, we commend you for finding a way and dealing with the time difference. That’s what makes this matchup so intriguing. Most people might be tempted to pick AC Milan due to familiarity, but Tokyo features multiple national team players for Japan. Their tactical and technical style is tough for any team to beat when they possess the ball, and I think they will be the surprise of the tournament.

Prediction: Tokyo Wins 2-1

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Club America, August 14, 7:00 ET/4:00 PM PT, Paramount+

Tottenham might be most well-known for signing Alex Morgan for a season not too long ago, but they’ve done well to move into the top half of the WSL in England. They’ve got a diverse group of players, with Canadian international Shelina Zadorsky as their captain at the back.

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Club America is a relatively new club as well, founded in 2017 but didn’t take long to experience success, and they won the Liga MX Femenil the next year in 2018. Both sides will be eager to leave their mark on American soil and grow their respective fan bases.

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This will be an interesting contrast between offense and defense. Tottenham has to be strong defensively going up against the Big 4 in England (Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United). Whereas Club America can flat out score goals. They scored 41 goals in the league last year, whereas Tottenham only scored 24.

Here’s the thing, England’s competition is slightly higher than Mexico’s. England just won the Euros, and Mexico missed out on qualification for the World Cup. Tottenham has seen better teams and players more often than Club America has. The Spurs should be able to take this win in the first round of the Women’s Cup 2022, but it will be a fun matchup to see unfold.

Prediction: Tottenham Wins 1-0

Featured image via @americafeminil on Instagram