Lauletta: Like it or not, there’s a trophy on the line Friday night

Aug 6, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Current midfielder Debinha (99) celebrates a goal with teammates in the second half against the North Carolina Courage at CPKC Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing screams the end of October like the final of a tournament called the Summer Cup. Perhaps the unseasonably warm autumn temperatures through most of the country will be more suitable to the name when NJ/NY Gotham and the Kansas City Current square off Friday night at Toyota Field in San Antonio. The first sanctioned event between National Women’s Soccer League clubs and Liga Femenil MX squads took place mostly over the summer, but with no time to fit in a final, Gotham and the Current get to play for a trophy while their 12 NWSL counterparts get the week off, minus any internationals who have been called in for the FIFA window.

Both teams have spoken as if the title is a priority, but a strong possibility exists they could meet again three weeks later with a trip to the NWSL Championship on the line. Or potentially even in the NWSL Championship a week after that. Gotham has had the added burden of taking on four midweek matches in the inaugural Concacaf W Champions League and will play the semifinals in May. Such is life for a successful soccer club. But for a tournament with no prestige that may not return in 2025, this one has been a difficult sell. Staging the final 80 days after the semis has not done wonders for momentum either.

For those who forgot, the Summer Cup pitted all 14 NWSL clubs against six select Mexican sides as a way to keep both circuits relevant during the Olympics. The matches were poorly advertised and poorly attended, though how poorly attended is unknown since figures have not been announced. A hard push to sell tickets to the final during league broadcasts lost some momentum, and according to sources, has not yet generated 4,000 tickets sold as of the start of the week.

The tournament mirrored Leagues Cup between teams in the countries’ respective men’s league. But in that case, a rivalry between the leagues and even between certain clubs had been fostered for years. Leagues Cup was pushed hard as part of the MLS media deal with Apple TV. The Summer Cup was aired on Paramount+ but not pushed nearly as hard by NWSL. Instead, regular season matches leading up to the Olympic break were promoting clubs’ next home matches without regard to the Summer Cup. Some of those next home matches were more than two months away.

There was also the issue of the format that saw the 20 teams divided into five groups but only four group winners advancing to the knockout stage. Utah Royals FC were the odd team out, winning Group A only to be told they have no more games and putting an end to what could have been a pretty cool story.

As for the upcoming match itself, the Current have an edge in terms of available players. Gotham have eight players on international duty, compared with four for the Current. On top of that, all eight Gotham call-ups could be considered likely starters in an important match. For the Current, only Hailie Mace will be a definitive absence. That means all-world scorer Temwa Chawinga will be available for the Current, as will her top providers like Debinha, Lo’eau LaBonta, and Vanessa DiBernardo.

Gotham have not conceded more than 2 goals in any regular season match this season and have yet to be scored on at all across four Summer Cup contests. But when they rolled out a reserve-heavy lineup in a Concacaf match last week they were hit four a four-spot in a 4-4 draw to a UANL side that had already been assured of advancing.

The international absences dovetail with the heart of the Summer Cup, which was played during the Olympics. Still they seem tougher to accept at this stage of the calendar.

The rise of Liga MX Femenil from its inception in 2017 has been a boon for the club game in the region. Tournaments and rivalries between the leagues is healthy. Club America sent their shot across the bow by defeating San Diego Wave FC in the Summer Cup, and again last week in Concacaf to advance to the semifinals at the expense of the 2023 NWSL Shield winners. Whether the Summer Cup moved the needle enough to bring back another year remains to be seen. But like it or not, there is a trophy on the line Friday night in San Antonio.