We are just a few days away from Chivas Femenil's eagerly awaited debut in the Summer Cup, a tournament that will mark their debut in official international competitions, and below we tell you all about the opponents that the Chingonas will face in the first phase.
The Rebaño Femenil is placed in Group D of the competition, where it was paired with 3 North American teams: Washington Spirit, Chicago Red Stars and NY/NJ Gotham. All of them belong to the National Women's Soccer League.
Who is the Washington Spirit?
This team was born in November 2012 and is one of the founding teams of the NWSL. Its usual home is Washington D.C., the U.S. capital, but for this edition of Summer Cup it decided to explore other alternatives, so it will play its matches in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the match against Guadalajara will take place, and Richmond, Virginia.
The capital city girls already know what it means to win the NWSL, as they were crowned in the 2021 edition against the Portland Thorns. Their original colors were the red, white and blue of the American flag, but last year they decided to change to Black and White because they are in a brand transition.
They recently hired Jonathan Giráldez, who until a few months ago was the technical director of Barcelona Femenil, who played at Akron Stadium against the Chingonas not so long ago.
Who are the Chicago Red Stars?
El Rebaño Sagrado will also face one of the longest-running women's teams in the United States, which has been present at the birth of two circuits. They are the Chicago Red Stars, founded in 2006 and playing at SeatGeek Stadium.
Its name alludes to the stars on the Chicago municipal flag, which are also represented on its shield, which also honors the Chicago River with its blue lines.
The Red Stars have been founders of the Women's Professional Soccer in 2009 and later of the NWSL in 2012, thus playing an important role in U.S. women's soccer. In the latter, they have reached the finals in 2019 and 2021, waiting to win their first title.
Their coach is 68-year-old Jamaican Lorne Donaldson, who once coached his country's women's national team and led them to the Round of 16 of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand 2023.
Who is NY/NJ Gotham?
The final group stage opponent for Chivas Femenil will be Gotham, which has a long history in American women's soccer. It was founded in 2006 under the name of Jersey Sky Blue, to become Sky Blue FC two years later. In 2021, it underwent a new rebranding to its current identity.
Its colors are sky blue and black, which alludes to its original identity, and its shield shows the crown of the Statue of Liberty at the top. Among its owners are personalities such as Carli Lloyd, former U.S. national soccer player, Eli Manning, former NFL player and Kevin Durant, NBA basketball player.
Gotham is the defending champion of the NWSL, a title that marked its first cup in the professional circuit. They are based in Harrison, New Jersey, where the NY Red Bulls also play.
Juan Carlos Amorós is the coach of Gotham, who has an extensive track record in international women's soccer. Throughout his career, he has coached teams such as Gotham, Real Betis Féminas, Tottenham Hotspur Women's and Houston Dash.
