Like it or not, there's a trophy on the line on Friday night: Equalizer Soccer

August 6, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Current Kansas City midfielder Debinha (99) celebrates a goal with his teammates during the second half against the North Carolina Courage at CPKC Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing screams late October like the finals of a tournament called the Summer Cup. Perhaps the unseasonably warm fall temperatures across most of the country better suit the name when NJ/NY Gotham and the Kansas City Current square off Friday night at Toyota Field in San Antonio. The first sanctioned event between National Women's Soccer League clubs and Liga Femenil MX teams took place largely over the summer, but with no time for a final, Gotham and The Current are playing for the trophy while their 12 NWSL counterparts get the week minus any international players called up for the FIFA window.

Both teams have expressed that the title is a priority, but there is a strong possibility that they will meet again three weeks later with a trip to the NWSL Championship on the line. Or possibly even in the NWSL Championship a week later. Gotham had the added burden of playing four midweek games in the inaugural Concacaf W Champions League and will play the semi-finals in May. Such is the life of a successful football club. But for a tournament with no prestige that may not return in 2025, this tournament was a tough sell. The fact that the final 80 days after the semi-finals didn't help the momentum either.

For those who have forgotten, the Summer Cup pitted all 14 NWSL clubs against six select Mexican teams in an effort to keep both circuits relevant during the Olympics. The games were poorly advertised and poorly attended. However, it is not known how poor attendance was as no figures were released. Efforts to sell tickets for the final during the league's broadcasts lost some momentum and had not yet resulted in 4,000 tickets sold as of the start of the week, according to sources.

The tournament mirrored the League Cup between teams from the country's respective men's league. But in this case, there had been a rivalry between leagues and even between certain clubs for years. The Leagues Cup was heavily promoted as part of the MLS media deal with Apple TV. The Summer Cup aired on Paramount+ but wasn't pushed nearly as hard by NWSL. Instead, the regular season games before the Olympic break promoted the clubs' next home games, without regard to the Summer Cup. Some of the next home games were more than two months away.

There was also an issue with the format, which saw the 20 teams split into five groups, but only four group winners advanced to the knockout stages. Utah Royals FC was the strange team that won Group A only to be told they were out of games, putting an end to a pretty cool story.

As for the upcoming game itself, Current has a head start in terms of available players. Gotham has eight players on international duty, compared to four for the Current. Additionally, all eight Gotham call-ups could be viewed as likely starters in an important game. Currently only Hailie Mace will definitely be missing. This means that world top scorer Temwa Chawinga will be available for the Current, as will their top providers such as Debinha, Lo'eau LaBonta and Vanessa DiBernardo.

Gotham has not conceded more than two goals in any regular season game this season and has yet to concede a goal at all in four Summer Cup contests. But when they fielded a reserve lineup in a Concacaf game last week, they were beaten four games to four in a 4-4 draw against a UANL team whose progression was already assured.

The international absences fit with the core of the Summer Cup, which was held during the Olympics. Still, it seems harder to accept at this stage of the calendar.

The rise of Liga MX Femenil since its inception in 2017 has been a boon for club sports in the region. Tournaments and rivalries between leagues are healthy. Club America sent its shot over the bow with victory over San Diego Wave FC in the Summer Cup and again in Concacaf last week, advancing to the semifinals at the expense of the 2023 NWSL Shield winners. It remains to be seen whether the Summer Cup moved the needle enough to bring it back for another year. But like it or not, there is a trophy on the line in San Antonio on Friday night.