2020 Sky Blue FC season

Sky Blue FC
2020 season
Club ChairTammy Murphy[1]
Head coachFreya Coombe
StadiumRed Bull Arena
Harrison, New Jersey
(Capacity: 25,000)
NWSLCancelled
Challenge CupSemi-finals
Fall Series4th
Top goalscorerIfeoma Onumonu
Paige Monaghan (3)
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2021 →

The 2020 Sky Blue FC season was the team's 11th season as a professional women's soccer team, and their eighth season as a member of the National Women's Soccer League.

The season was originally scheduled to begin on March 18, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the start date was delayed. Preseason matches were cancelled on March 12[2] and on April 4 it was announced that a moratorium on training would continue through May 5, 2020.[3] On April 24, the NWSL announced the moratorium on training would be extended through May 15.[4] The start date of the season was further shifted to an indeterminate point, with the league promising to "include an appropriate preseason training period" before launching the season.[4] Small group training resumed on May 25,[5] and on May 27 the NWSL announced that the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup would mark the league's return to action following the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] The tournament was hosted in Utah from June 27 to July 26.[6]

On June 22, 2020, the NWSL confirmed that the regular season had been cancelled and the Challenge Cup would act as the 2020 season.[7] Sky Blue finished the preliminary round as the seventh seed[8] before ultimately being eliminated in the semi-finals by the Chicago Red Stars.[9]

On August 25, the NWSL announced that the season would continue with a Fall Series beginning on September 5. Per the rules of the series, Sky Blue played four matches as part of a three-team regional pod with the Chicago Red Stars and Washington Spirit.[10] Sky Blue ultimately placed fourth in the Fall Series.

  1. ^ "Ownership". Sky Blue FC. Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "Statement from NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird regarding the 2020 season" (Press release). NWSL Media Staff. March 12, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  3. ^ "COVID-19 resources and updates for NWSL fans" (Press release). NWSL Media Staff. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Levine, Matthew (April 24, 2020). "NWSL extends training moratorium through May 15" (Press release). Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  5. ^ "NWSL to allow small group training starting Monday". skybluefc.com. May 25, 2020. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Levine, Matthew (May 27, 2020). "NWSL announces 2020 Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret" (Press release). Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  7. ^ "2020 Champions Cup Presented by P&G and Secret Roster Rules" (PDF) (Press release). NWSL. June 13, 2020. p. 3. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  8. ^ Lewis, Michael (July 14, 2020). "QUARTERFINAL BOUND: Courage the top seed; No. 7 Sky Blue FC to play No. 2 Spirit". Front Row Soccer. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  9. ^ "Sky Blue Falls to Chicago 3-2 in Tight Semifinal Matchup". Sky Blue FC. July 23, 2020. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  10. ^ "NWSL to continue breakout 2020 season with fall series" (Press release). NWSL Media Staff. August 25, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.