Before the season begins, the Chelsea Women will be heading to Portland, Oregon to take on some of the best clubs in the entire world. The Women’s International Champions Cup (WICC) has been around since 2018 with two NWSL clubs winning out of the three tournaments to date. This season’s competition will feature the defending champion and host, Portland Thorns. The Thorns will be accompanied by the defending Champions League winner, Olympique Lyonnais, and the Torneo Grita Mexico Apertura 2021 winner, C.F. Monterrey.
This is just an example of the aspirations of the women’s team next season. Playing against the best of the best before the Women’s Super League season even kicks off will only help the Blues become even better prepared when the Champions League rolls around.
After the news was announced, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes expressed her thoughts, stating:
"“We are really excited to take part in the WICC and relish this unique opportunity for the chance to be crowned the world’s best club team following an unforgettable season and a fantastic summer of football … We can’t wait to see our Blues supporters cheering us on in Portland.”"
The Chelsea Women are headed to the United States for preseason football
Given the first two signings of the summer and the fact that the Blues will be competing in the WICC, the new ownership and Hayes are doing everything they can to prepare this team for any obstacles that might be thrown their way. The Portland Thorns combine a veteran defense with an explosive offense with one of the best young strikers in the game today, Sophia Smith. Smith and Canadian legend Christine Sinclair—along with 24-year-old Morgan Weaver—present the Blues with an attack that they do not see on a regular basis in the WSL.
Portland has allowed the second-fewest goals in the NWSL this season and it will face off against Chelsea with a sturdy defense, led by USWNT centerback Becky Sauerbrunn. The Thorns’ back line will give the Blues a much-needed preseason test. Putting seven goals by Leicester City on a given WSL matchday does not benefit Chelsea all that much. But, challenging itself for a run back to the Champions League final equips the team with the knowledge of a plethora of looks that it might not see from a WSL opponent on a week-to-week basis.
Lyon is the ultimate test that the Blues should be trying to measure themselves up against. Back in 2019 when Sam Kerr announced her move to Europe, Hayes made it known that she wanted to prevent every star of the women’s game from going to Lyon. She was able to sign Kerr and the success followed. Just one year after missing out on the Champions League crown, Lyon snatched it back with authority, beating the defending champions, Barcelona, 3-1.
The eight-time Champions League winners—led by manager Sonia Bompastor—are what Hayes and the Blues aspire to be. The two being able to face off in the preseason presents Chelsea with the perfect chance to compare itself with the best Europe has to offer. Competing against the all-time leading goalscorer in the history of the UWCL, Ada Hegerberg, along with the rest of the potent Lyon attack, will help to expose the defense in a competition where Hayes wants to iron out the weaknesses before the reality of the regular season kicks in.
CF Monterrey may not pose as large of a threat compared to the Thorns and Lyon, but it is still a team that is not used to losing. Eva Espejo and her squad only lost one match at the beginning of the season last year. It has been a mainstay at the top of the table in an evolving women’s football league that just began in 2017. There is no question that the Blues are going to be battle tested heading into a season where it looks like it is time for them to make a move among Europe’s elite.
The shocking exit in last season’s UWCL is no doubt still in the mind of Hayes as she made the first two additions of the summer. Knowing that the Blues are going to be traveling to Portland for a preseason tournament should make the team aware of how important this upcoming season is for the Chelsea Women. Since coming to Kingsmeadow, Hayes has demanded the best each and every day. Now, before the road to Eindhoven’s Philips Stadion officially begins, the Blues will get a chance to get some experience that it just won’t get each week in the WSL.