NWSL Announces Broadcast Lineup for 2021 Challenge Cup Presented By Secret Deodorant

JP Dellacamera and Aly Wagner to Call Tournament Opener and the Final

CHICAGO (April 6, 2021) - The National Women’s Soccer League today announced broadcast talent and coverage for the 2021 Challenge Cup presented by Secret Deodorant. The 21-game tournament will be covered by the CBS Television Network, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ and Twitch, with the May 9th championship game set to be nationally televised on CBS. 

Broadcasting veteran JP Dellacamera teams up with two-time Olympic gold medalist Aly Wagner for the first game in a rematch of last year's Challenge Cup final featuring the Chicago Red Stars and the Houston Dash. The pair will also call the final on May 9th, at a site to be determined.

In addition, play-by-play announcer Jenn Hildreth and analyst Lori Lindsey return to the Challenge Cup broadcasting booth for the second season and will provide commentary in three CBS Sports Network contests. Marisa Pilla will also return to the pitch for her second stint as sideline reporter for the tournament. 

One of the pioneering voices in American soccer, Dellacamera joins the NWSL for his first season as play-by-play announcer. The TV voice of the MLS’ Philadelphia Union since 2010, Dellacamera comes to the league a seasoned veteran in the world of sports broadcasting, having called a wide range of soccer events throughout his more than 30 years in the booth. The Waltham, Massachusetts native has covered 15 FIFA World Cups including serving as the lead play-by-play announcer on Fox’s coverage of both the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups. In addition, Dellacamera has called matches in three Summer Olympic Games with NBC, providing lead play-by-play coverage for the 2004 and 2008 Games, a role he also held for the 2017, 2019 and 2021 SheBelieves Cup, as well as the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship. He also called games in the 2016 Copa America Centenario and the 1999 UEFA Europa League final. For his work in the booth, Dellacamera was a recipient of the Colin Jose Media Award, and was inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Wagner is a former U.S. women’s national team player, who won two Olympic gold medals and two FIFA Women’s World Cup bronze over her 10-year career with the USWNT. Wagner began her professional club career in 2003 after being selected as the number-one pick at the Women’s United Soccer Association Draft by the San Diego Spirit. She was in the first group of international players to be brought over by Olympique Lyonnais and then finished her career with Los Angeles Sol. After concluding her soccer career, Wagner served as a Fox Sports analyst for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and then became the lead analyst for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The year prior at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, she made U.S. English-language television history as the first woman to call a men’s FIFA World Cup game. Wagner additionally worked as the lead analyst for the NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on Lifetime and ESPN from 2017-2019.

Hildreth is in her seventh season as play-by-play announcer for the NWSL, having called matches across a variety of networks, including ESPN, Fox Sports, and Lifetime. Hildreth is a versatile broadcaster who has covered various sports with experience as an analyst, host, reporter, and play-by-play announcer in a career spanning nearly 20 years on television. She is the only female play-by-play announcer to work Fox Sports’ coverage of the last two FIFA Women’s World Cups, has called the last four NCAA Women’s College Cup Championships for ESPN, and currently serves as a play-by-play announcer for ESPN/ACC Network covering women’s college soccer, basketball, and softball. Hildreth attended Emory University, where she was the goalkeeper on their soccer team and was a three-sport athlete, lettering in not only soccer, but also basketball, and track and field. 

Lindsey is a former U.S. women’s national team player whose professional playing career spanned 13 years. Lindsey is one of only four players to have played in all three of the U.S. professional women’s soccer leagues. She now works in broadcast, calling NWSL, Nashville SC in MLS, USL games, along with ACC and SEC games. Lindsey also travels the globe speaking, raising awareness, and advocating for women’s equality and the LGBTQ community. 

Pilla is a sports broadcaster working in her hometown of Philadelphia. She has been the NWSL’s sideline reporter for the last two seasons and most recently served as the host of the NWSL Draft for the fourth time. Pilla also worked as a sideline reporter covering MLS on FS1, and for the last five seasons, has served as the pregame/postgame show host for the Philadelphia Union. 

Paramount+ and Twitch coverage will be led by Mike Watts, who has been a voice for the league since 2014 and is back for his second Challenge Cup. He will be joined by play-by-play announcers Jordan Angeli, Josh Eastern, Joe Malfa and Josh Tolle, and analysts Jen Cooper, Kaylyn Kyle, Lisa Roman and Kacey White.

JP Dellacamera and Aly Wagner to Call Tournament Opener and the Final

CHICAGO (April 6, 2021) - The National Women’s Soccer League today announced broadcast talent and coverage for the 2021 Challenge Cup presented by Secret Deodorant. The 21-game tournament will be covered by the CBS Television Network, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ and Twitch, with the May 9th championship game set to be nationally televised on CBS. 

Broadcasting veteran JP Dellacamera teams up with two-time Olympic gold medalist Aly Wagner for the first game in a rematch of last year's Challenge Cup final featuring the Chicago Red Stars and the Houston Dash. The pair will also call the final on May 9th, at a site to be determined.

In addition, play-by-play announcer Jenn Hildreth and analyst Lori Lindsey return to the Challenge Cup broadcasting booth for the second season and will provide commentary in three CBS Sports Network contests. Marisa Pilla will also return to the pitch for her second stint as sideline reporter for the tournament. 

One of the pioneering voices in American soccer, Dellacamera joins the NWSL for his first season as play-by-play announcer. The TV voice of the MLS’ Philadelphia Union since 2010, Dellacamera comes to the league a seasoned veteran in the world of sports broadcasting, having called a wide range of soccer events throughout his more than 30 years in the booth. The Waltham, Massachusetts native has covered 15 FIFA World Cups including serving as the lead play-by-play announcer on Fox’s coverage of both the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups. In addition, Dellacamera has called matches in three Summer Olympic Games with NBC, providing lead play-by-play coverage for the 2004 and 2008 Games, a role he also held for the 2017, 2019 and 2021 SheBelieves Cup, as well as the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship. He also called games in the 2016 Copa America Centenario and the 1999 UEFA Europa League final. For his work in the booth, Dellacamera was a recipient of the Colin Jose Media Award, and was inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Wagner is a former U.S. women’s national team player, who won two Olympic gold medals and two FIFA Women’s World Cup bronze over her 10-year career with the USWNT. Wagner began her professional club career in 2003 after being selected as the number-one pick at the Women’s United Soccer Association Draft by the San Diego Spirit. She was in the first group of international players to be brought over by Olympique Lyonnais and then finished her career with Los Angeles Sol. After concluding her soccer career, Wagner served as a Fox Sports analyst for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and then became the lead analyst for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The year prior at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, she made U.S. English-language television history as the first woman to call a men’s FIFA World Cup game. Wagner additionally worked as the lead analyst for the NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on Lifetime and ESPN from 2017-2019.

Hildreth is in her seventh season as play-by-play announcer for the NWSL, having called matches across a variety of networks, including ESPN, Fox Sports, and Lifetime. Hildreth is a versatile broadcaster who has covered various sports with experience as an analyst, host, reporter, and play-by-play announcer in a career spanning nearly 20 years on television. She is the only female play-by-play announcer to work Fox Sports’ coverage of the last two FIFA Women’s World Cups, has called the last four NCAA Women’s College Cup Championships for ESPN, and currently serves as a play-by-play announcer for ESPN/ACC Network covering women’s college soccer, basketball, and softball. Hildreth attended Emory University, where she was the goalkeeper on their soccer team and was a three-sport athlete, lettering in not only soccer, but also basketball, and track and field. 

Lindsey is a former U.S. women’s national team player whose professional playing career spanned 13 years. Lindsey is one of only four players to have played in all three of the U.S. professional women’s soccer leagues. She now works in broadcast, calling NWSL, Nashville SC in MLS, USL games, along with ACC and SEC games. Lindsey also travels the globe speaking, raising awareness, and advocating for women’s equality and the LGBTQ community. 

Pilla is a sports broadcaster working in her hometown of Philadelphia. She has been the NWSL’s sideline reporter for the last two seasons and most recently served as the host of the NWSL Draft for the fourth time. Pilla also worked as a sideline reporter covering MLS on FS1, and for the last five seasons, has served as the pregame/postgame show host for the Philadelphia Union. 

Paramount+ and Twitch coverage will be led by Mike Watts, who has been a voice for the league since 2014 and is back for his second Challenge Cup. He will be joined by play-by-play announcers Jordan Angeli, Josh Eastern, Joe Malfa and Josh Tolle, and analysts Jen Cooper, Kaylyn Kyle, Lisa Roman and Kacey White.