How to watch the NWSL Challenge Cup final

Portland Thorns celebrate LIndsey Horan's (10) goal during the NWSL Challenge Cup match between the OL Reign and the Portland Thorns on April 21, 2021, at Providence Park in Portland, Ore.
(Image credit: Diego Diaz/Getty Images)

Ten teams. Four games each. That's the makeup of the NWSL Challenge Cup, which finds itself at the championship game on Saturday, May 8.

The two squads that will face off in the final are NY/NY Gotham FC and Portland Thorns FC, which finished first in their respective divisions. 

Portland did so in greater fashion, with 10 points from three straight wins over Kansas City, Chicago Red Stars and then OL Reign, following an opening draw against Houston Dash. It was an equitable campaign, with the team's six goals coming from six players — Simone Charley, Lindsey Horan, Tyler Lussi, Rocky Rodriguez, Christine Sinclair and Morgan Weaver. Goalkeeper Adrianna Franch recorded two clean sheets and gave up just two goals.

Gotham, meanwhile, managed eight points, opening with a pair of scoreless draws before winning out over Orlando and North Carolina. NY/NJ made the most of those two wins, though, with four goals against North Carolina and one more against Orlando. Keeper Diddi Haracic came away with three clean sheets — but it was the 4-3 victory over the Courage that provided the lone blemish.

That sets the stage for Saturday's game, which is relegated to streaming only on Paramount Plus, and not on CBSSN (because, college lacrosse) or CBS proper (because PGA Tour). Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern (that's 10 a.m. on the West Coast). 

In addition to the NWSL, Paramount Plus has all kinds of live sports, from the Champions League to regional NFL games. It's also where you'll find the extended Star Trek universe (save for the Kelvin timeline films), the ever-growing Yellowstone universe, and a host of new Paramount Plus original series.

Paramount Plus Key Info

  • What is it? Paramount's streaming service features bags of movies, TV dramas and plenty of original content. 
  • Is there a free trial? Yes, there's a one-week Paramount Plus free trial, so you get to try before you buy.
  • How much does it cost in the US? $4.99 (with ads) or $9.99 (ads-free). 
  • How much does it cost in the UK? £6.99 (there's just one plan).

Paramount Plus is available on every major streaming platform. That means you can watch Paramount Plus on Roku. Or you can watch Paramount Plus on Amazon Fire TV. The same goes for Paramount Plus on Apple TV, Google TV, Android TV, or in a web browser if that's what you prefer.

Phil Nickinson

Phil spent his 20s in the newsroom of the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, his 30s on the road for AndroidCentral.com and Mobile Nations and is the Dad part of Modern Dad.