Alianza FC, Whitecaps FC face off in preliminary round of the W Champions Cup | OneFootball

Alianza FC, Whitecaps FC face off in preliminary round of the W Champions Cup

MIAMI — The 2024/25 Concacaf W Champions Cup will kick off this week with the Preliminary Round, in which Alianza FC will host Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Thursday at the Cuscatlan Stadium in El Salvador.

The Preliminary Round will be played in one leg, with the winner advancing to the group stage. As decided by the tournament draw, the winner will complete Group B alongside Liga MX Femenil’s Club America Femenil, Panamanian side Santa Fe, and NWSL clubs Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave.

Eight-time champions in El Salvador, Alianza FC is no stranger to winning. The club qualified as champions of the Apertura 2023 and Clausura 2024 seasons.

Through the years, players who helped Alianza FC reach the top of their league have left a legacy that the current squad takes inspiration from, both for the club and their national team. Nicole Amaya is one of their biggest players, having 20 caps for El Salvador, three in the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup earlier this year.

La Selecta captain Priscila Ortiz is another key player for Alianza FC. She has 28 international caps, including Olympic Qualifiers, W Gold Cup Qualifiers, W Gold Cup, and Central American Games.

Canadian side Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite earned its way to the Preliminary Round by becoming the 2023 Champions of League 1 in the Canadian Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship.

The Canadian side features talent with call-ups at the different levels of the Canadian women’s national team. One of these is Mya Archibald, who played at the U-17 and U-20 Concacaf Championship for the Canucks, as well as participating at the 2022 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Fans will also have to keep an eye on game-changer Jeneva Hernandez-Gray. As well as having participated at the U-17 and U-20 levels, scoring two goals at the U-20 Championship, and getting the 2023 Whitecaps FC Female Most Promising Player honors, Hernandez-Gray received a call to be part of camp for the senior Canada team for friendlies last year.

Both squads are full of talent, and they will take this chance to show their skills and earn a spot in the group stage for the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup.