Special Edition: Golden hour on the pitch

The first-ever W Gold Cup is CONCACAF’s new flagship tourney for women’s national teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) and guest teams from South America (CONMEBOL).

• There has been a CONCACAF Gold Cup in men’s soccer since 1991, but the corresponding women’s tourney was only approved in 2020. Better late than never.

In terms of how it works, 15 CONCACAF and CONMEBOL teams initially qualified for the W Gold Cup, but now that the preliminary round is over, we’re onto the 12-team group stage.

• The group stage follows a round-robin format where each squad will play each team in their group once. The top two teams in each group advance to the quarter-finals, as do the two-best third-place teams. From there, it's a traditional single-elimination tourney.

• The games will be played across four venues: Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson, California), Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, California), Shell Energy Stadium (Houston, Texas) and BMO Stadium (LA, California).

In addition to the World Cup and Olympics, these continental tournaments are an essential part of international soccer’s DNA. The scope and scale of the new W Gold Cup format represents a solid investment for the CONCACAF women and puts this tournament on par with its similar competitions across the world.

• And because four of the 15 teams — the USWNT, Canada, No. 11 Brazil, and No. 23 Colombia — have already clinched their tickets to Paris, the W Gold Cup is also a crucial opportunity for players to prove they’re worthy of a spot on their country’s elite (and notoriously small) Olympic squads. No pressure, no diamonds.

The GIST: The Americans boast a nearly pristine record in CONCACAF competitions, winning 14 of the 15 regional championships they’ve participated in, but the USWNT is in a transition period, notably shaking up their roster following their earliest-ever exit at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC).

The background: The USWNT is still operating under interim coach Twila Kilgore while new head coach Emma Hayes completes her contract with Chelsea FC in England’s Women’s Super League. Hayes will not officially lead the Americans until the Paris Olympics, but is working in conjunction with Kilgore in the meantime, weighing in on pivotal decisions, including roster spots.

• The USWNT’s W Gold Cup squad is young, providing less experienced players a chance to prove their mettle while initially leaving veterans, like forward Alex Morgan and defender Becky Sauerbrunn, off the roster.

• However, injuries (both minor and unfortunately major) throughout training camp have made both Morgan and Sauerbrunn late additions to the tourney squad.

Players to watch: Following the iconic Megan Rapinoe’s retirement last fall, the pressure’s on midfielder Lindsey Horan and forward Sophia Smith to step into larger leadership roles on and off the field.

• Though Smith is just 23 years old, she’s tasked with guiding newcomers like forward Jaedyn Shaw, who has already scored two goals in just four international appearances.

• And anchoring the American backline is U.S. Soccer’s Female Player of the Year, defender Naomi Girma, whose quiet confidence and excellent game sense creates necessary stability for a team in flux.

The GIST: Entering the year on a three-game win streak, the red and white are preparing to defend their Olympic title this summer, a tall task following their disappointing performance at the most recent WWC and legendary captain Christine Sinclair’s retirement.

The background: Like the U.S., CanWNT is evolving, awarding W Gold Cup roster spots to young, versatile players to provide them with important international experience. Head coach Bev Priestman is already thinking beyond the Paris Games to the 2027 WWC, focusing on bringing depth and stability to Canada soccer on the pitch, despite unfortunate circumstances off of it.

• The women’s team is still engaged in a labor dispute with fiscally fishy Canada Soccer, their governing body, fighting for permanent equal pay with the men’s team, as well as better overall funding and resources.

• In 2023, CanWNT briefly played under protest under the threat of legal action, a reality that cannot be separated from their overall lackluster performance on the field.

Players to watch: Midfielder Jessie Fleming, the reigning women’s Canada Soccer Player of the Year, is widely expected to take over as captain following Sincy’s swan song, cementing her position as CanWNT’s anchor alongside defenders Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence.

• Priestman is particularly excited to possibly award youngsters like midfielder Simi Awujo and defender Jade Rose starting spots, alongside Canadian stalwarts like forward Jordyn Huitema (pronounced HEIGHT-uh-mah) and midfielder (and friend of The GIST) Quinn. Onwards and upwards.

You can catch all the excitement on CBS or Paramount+ in the U.S. and OneSoccer in Canada. The USWNT’s first match is tonight at 10:15 p.m. ET against the No. 107 Dominican Republic, and CanWNT makes their tourney debut on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET against No. 104 El Salvador. Here we go.