Play begins in August 2024; Champion will be crowned regional champion and claim the Confederation’s slot at the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup

MIAMI – Concacaf has announced that its Council has approved the criteria for how clubs will qualify for the Confederation’s inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup. Portland Thorns FC are among the inaugural teams included in the competition.

As previously announced, the Concacaf W Champions Cup is a new annual tournament that includes the best clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean and crowns the region’s women’s club champion. The tournament is also the sole path through which clubs in Concacaf can qualify for the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which FIFA has committed to launching in the near future.

The first edition of the competition will feature 11 clubs from seven Member Associations and include a Preliminary Round, followed by a Group Stage and a centralized Final Four.

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA AND PARTICIPATING CLUBS

Following extensive consultation with all stakeholders, including its Member Associations, leagues, and clubs, the Concacaf Council has now reviewed and approved the proposed qualification criteria for clubs to qualify for the 2024/25 Concacaf W Champions Cup.

The approved criteria per country and qualified clubs thus far are as follows:

• Canada (1 club in the Preliminary Round): 2023 League1 Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship Winner (Vancouver Whitecaps FC).
• Costa Rica (1 club in the Group Stage): 2023 Apertura and Clausura Unión Femenina de Fútbol Champion (LD Alajuelense).
• El Salvador (1 club in the Preliminary Round): 2023/24 Liga Primera Femenina Play-Off Winner (to be played between the 2023 Apertura and 2024 Clausura Champions).
• Jamaica (1 club in the Group Stage): 2022/23 Jamaica Women’s Premier League Champion (Frazsiers Whip Women FC).
• Mexico (3 clubs in the Group Stage): Liga MX Femenil 2023 Apertura Champion (Tigres UANL Femenil), 2024 Clausura Champion (TBC), and the best runner-up (TBC based on aggregate regular season league points across both competitions).
• Panama (1 club in the Group Stage): Liga de Fútbol Femenino 2024 Apertura Champion (TBC).
• United States (3 clubs in the Group Stage): 2023 NWSL Champion (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Shield Winner (San Diego Wave FC), and Shield Runner-Up (Portland Thorns FC).

COMPETITION FORMAT

The 2024/25 Concacaf W Champions Cup includes a Preliminary Round, followed by Group and Knockout Stage play. The Preliminary Round Play-in will be a single-leg match between two clubs, with the winner advancing to the Group Stage.

The Group Stage will feature 10 clubs divided into two groups of five clubs each. Each club will play every club in its group once, for a total of four matches per club (two at home and two away). At the conclusion of Group Stage play, the group winners and runners-up (four clubs) will progress to the competition’s final four.

The Semifinals, Third Place Match, and Final, where the first-ever Concacaf W Champions Cup champion will be crowned, will be centralized in a venue to be announced.

OFFICIAL DRAW

The official draw for the 2024/25 Concacaf W Champions Cup will take place on Thursday, June 6. At this event, where Concacaf will also unveil the tournament’s brand identity, the 10 clubs participating in the Group Stage will be divided into two groups of five clubs each.

COMPETITION DATES

Official Draw: June 6, 2024

Preliminary Round: August 13-15, 2024

Group Stage Week 1: August 20-22, 2024

Group Stage Week 2: September 3-5, 2024

Group Stage Week 3: September 17-19, 2024

Group Stage Week 4: October 1-3, 2024

Group Stage Week 5: October 15-17, 2024

Final Round (Semifinals, 3rd Place match, and Final): May 22-25, 2025

Further details about this exciting new competition, including the draw procedures, will be announced in the coming weeks.

PORTLAND, Ore. (Saturday, August 15, 2026) – The Portland Thorns continued their impressive home form with a 2-1 win over Orlando Pride on Saturday when forward Caiya Hanks — who was making her return to the pitch after missing action for over a year with an ACL injury — scored a stoppage time winner to secure three points for the home side.

Both sides battled back and forth as they tried to search for the opening goal, with Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold making three saves to ensure the match remained level going into the halftime break.
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The Thorns came out into the second half much more threatening in Orlando’s half and finally broke the deadlock in the 58^th minute when forward Pietra Tordin laid the ball off to forward Deyna Castellanos, who from the top right corner of Orlando’s box placed the ball perfectly into the top left corner of the goal over the hands of Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse.

The lead was short lived however when Arnold’s diving save to punch out a crossed ball in the 63^rd minute ricocheted off the knees of Orlando forward Jacqueline Ovalle and rolled into the net to level things back up.

From there, Portland and Orlando continued in their fight to search for a second and despite several good looks at goal, the match remained level.

That would all change after Hanks — who subbed on in the 88^th minute — curled the ball into the goal from outside the box in the 96^th to send Providence Park into a frenzy as the Thorns secured three points and extended its home unbeaten streak to 12 matches, nine on the season.

UP NEXT: The Portland Thorns host Denver Summit FC for the first time at Providence Park on Saturday, August 22. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:45 pm PT on ION and 910 ESPN Portland. Purchase tickets for the match HERE.

TEAM NOTES

• Pietra Tordin extended her assist tally to nine, sitting alongside Croix Bethune (KC) for most in the league so far this season. Tordin is one assist away from equalizing the league record for assists which is 10 (Tobin Heath, POR 2016 and Croix Bethune, KC 2024).  
• Deyna Castellanos scored her first goal of the 2026 season.
• Caiya Hanks, who was removed off the Season-Ending Injury list, made her return to the pitch for the first time since June 15, 2025 and scored the game-winner.
• M.A. Vignola got her first assist of the season.
• The Thorns have gone 12 home regular season matches (dating back to September 2025) without losing (8W,4D), extending the current club record.
• The Thorns have not lost at home in 2026 (6W,3D).
• In seven matches since 2018, Portland has not lost at home against Orlando (7W-0L-0D).

GOAL BREAKDOWN
First Half

N/A

Second Half

POR – Deyna Castellanos (Pietra Tordin) 58’
ORL – Jacqueline Ovalle 63’
POR – Caiya Hanks (M.A. Vignola) 90+6’

LINEUPS
Portland Thorns (4-2-3-1): Mackenzie Arnold (GK), M.A. Vignola, Jayden Perry, Isabella Obaze (Sam Hiatt 78’), Carolyn Calzada, Jessie Fleming-C, Nina Nijstad (Cassandra Bogere 85’), Pietra Tordin (Caiya Hanks 88’), Deyna Castellanos (Renee Lyles 78’), Marie Müller (Morgan Weaver 67’), Sophia Wilson

Subs not used:  Morgan Messner (GK), Reyna Reyes, Shae Harvey, Mallie McKenzie

Orlando Pride (4-4-2): Anna Moorhouse (GK), Hailie Mace (Gabi Nunes 90+8’), Rafaelle (Zoe Matthews 89’), Cori Dyke, Oihane Hernández (Zara Chavoshi 76’), Solai Washington, Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon-C, Julie Doyle (Summer Yates 65’), Jacqueline Ovalle, Barbra Banda (Angelina 65’)

Subs not used: Cara Martin (GK), Cossette Morche, Luana, Nicole Payne

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MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

POR: N/A
ORL: Jacqueline Ovalle (Yellow) 40’, Julie Doyle (Yellow) 52’, Rafaelle (Yellow) 85’

MATCH STATS

POR | ORL

Goals: 2|1
Assists: 2|0
Possession: 51|49
Shots: 10|12
Shots on Target: 4|6
Saves: 5|2
Tackles: 16|16
Tackles Won: 9|11
Interceptions: 14|26
Fouls: 7|6
Offsides: 0|1
Corner Kicks: 0|6

ATTENDANCE: 19,106

Referee: Brad Jensen
Assistant Referee 1: Katarzyna Wasiak
Assistant Referee 2: Sarah Gaddes
4th Official: Justin St. Pierre
VAR: Danielle Chesky
Assistant VAR: Seun Yinka-Kehinde

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