US Soccer plans new national women's club competition

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — The U.S. Soccer federation announced Wednesday it plans a new national women's club competition that will include teams from the National Women's Soccer League and the Gainbridge Super League.

There is no launch date yet for the Arthur M. Blank Crest Cup, which will have a prize pool of $1.5 million. The single-elimination competition will serve as a national championship and a pathway to qualification for the CONCACAF W Champions Cup.

“We’re working very closely with both the NWSL and the Gainbridge Super League to figure out what is the optimal time to do this,” U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said. “Obviously, we want to put it into play as soon as possible, but we also want to be respectful of each league’s calendar and how do we best go forth and do this. And I’ve got to say, I’ve been very impressed with both leagues and how much they’re leaning in and collaborating and cooperating to make this happen.”

Parlow Cone said the competition could be open to other clubs, including amateur teams, much like the men's U.S. Open Cup.

“We’re looking at the option for lower division professional teams being able to join, as well as amateur women’s teams being able to join, and what that could and should look like, but we’re also not of the thought that the tournament can’t evolve. So maybe we start with the NWSL and GSL, and then evolve and engage the other teams,” she said. “We’re announcing this in real time as we are still trying to put all the pieces together."

The growth of women's soccer has spurred club competitions in recent years. Internationally, the women's Champions Cup is in its second year, and the FIFA Women's Club World Cup is set to start in 2028.

The aim of Crest Cup is to capitalize on the popularity of the game, which is expected to grow with the World Cup next summer in Brazil. The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica have a joint bid for the 2031 tournament.

The tournament also aims to give high-level, meaningful competition for club teams, while spurring player development.

“As we gear up for the World Cup in 2031, I think this is a great timing in order to create another competition, because most of the players and the coaches and the teams in our ecosystem, they only get that international exposure if they make their national teams, or if they’re lucky, one or two teams to be able to play in the CONCACAF tournament. But this is another way to get more players interleague competition that could then lead to international competition in really meaningful games,” Parlow Cone said.

Blank has long been a supporter of U.S. Soccer. The federation recently opened the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Lafayette, Georgia. Blank owns Major League Soccer's Atlanta United and an expansion NWSL team, Atlanta City FC, set to start play in 2028.

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