Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

Chelsea wins Women's League Cup final for first trophy in quadruple bid

Sport

Chelsea wins Women's League Cup final for first trophy in quadruple bid
Sport

Sport

Chelsea wins Women's League Cup final for first trophy in quadruple bid

2025-03-15 22:54 Last Updated At:23:02

Chelsea’s quadruple bid in women’s soccer is up and running.

A 2-1 win over Manchester City in the Women’s League Cup final on Saturday earned Chelsea its first piece of silverware this season.

More Images
Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Millie Bright and Nathalie Bjorn celebrate following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Millie Bright and Nathalie Bjorn celebrate following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Nathalie Bjorn and Millie Bright lift the trophy following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Nathalie Bjorn and Millie Bright lift the trophy following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Kerstin Casparij (left) and Chelsea's Sandy Baltimore battle for the ball during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Kerstin Casparij (left) and Chelsea's Sandy Baltimore battle for the ball during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Lucy Bronze (left) and Manchester City's Leila Ouahabi collide during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Lucy Bronze (left) and Manchester City's Leila Ouahabi collide during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Catarina Macario and Manchester City's Laia Aleixandri battle for the ball during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Mike Egerton /PA via AP)

Chelsea's Catarina Macario and Manchester City's Laia Aleixandri battle for the ball during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Mike Egerton /PA via AP)

Manchester City's Aoba Fujino scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Aoba Fujino scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate their side's second goal of the game, an own-goal scored by Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa, during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate their side's second goal of the game, an own-goal scored by Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa, during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Catarina Macario during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Catarina Macario during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Sjoeke Nusken during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Sjoeke Nusken during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Sjoeke Nusken, during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Sjoeke Nusken, during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea — still unbeaten in all competitions — leads the Women’s Super League by eight points with six games remaining in its title defense, is in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, and has reached the FA Cup semifinals.

Yui Hasegawa’s unfortunate own-goal in the 77th minute clinched the win for Chelsea, which took the lead after eight minutes through Mayra Ramirez. It was also the Colombia striker who delivered the right-wing cross that Hasegawa sliced into her own net.

Hasegawa, the Japan midfielder, was in tears after the match and was consoled by her teammates.

Aoba Fujino equalized for City with a brilliant strike from the edge of the area in the 64th.

Chelsea had lost the previous three League Cup finals.

“It’s been doing my head in for a long time,” said Chelsea captain Millie Bright, who played a key role in resisting many City attacks in the second half.

“We have a mentality to never give in," Bright added. "It’s something Chelsea has in its DNA.”

It was the first of four games between Chelsea and City in a 12-day span. They also meet in the two-legged Champions League quarterfinals — the first leg is on Wednesday — with a Women’s Super League match in between.

“My players know exactly the rules. I told them that it’s important to celebrate for sure, but we have a game against City on Wednesday and we’ll need to be ready because again we expect a tough game," said Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor, who collected her first trophy since joining the club in last year's offseason.

“They can just go out until 9 o'clock,” she said about her players' celebrations. "9:30, in bed.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Millie Bright and Nathalie Bjorn celebrate following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Millie Bright and Nathalie Bjorn celebrate following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Nathalie Bjorn and Millie Bright lift the trophy following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Nathalie Bjorn and Millie Bright lift the trophy following the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Kerstin Casparij (left) and Chelsea's Sandy Baltimore battle for the ball during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Kerstin Casparij (left) and Chelsea's Sandy Baltimore battle for the ball during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Lucy Bronze (left) and Manchester City's Leila Ouahabi collide during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Lucy Bronze (left) and Manchester City's Leila Ouahabi collide during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Catarina Macario and Manchester City's Laia Aleixandri battle for the ball during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Mike Egerton /PA via AP)

Chelsea's Catarina Macario and Manchester City's Laia Aleixandri battle for the ball during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Mike Egerton /PA via AP)

Manchester City's Aoba Fujino scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Aoba Fujino scores her side's first goal during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate their side's second goal of the game, an own-goal scored by Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa, during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea players celebrate their side's second goal of the game, an own-goal scored by Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa, during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Catarina Macario during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Catarina Macario during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Sjoeke Nusken during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Sjoeke Nusken during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Sjoeke Nusken, during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez (left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mate Sjoeke Nusken, during the English women's League Cup soccer final match between Chelsea and Manchester City, at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Next Article

Ohtani and the Dodgers keep the Cubs and their rich history in the shadows in Japan

2025-03-19 21:13 Last Updated At:21:20

TOKYO (AP) — Chicago Cubs fans take pride in being underdogs, a role that ended briefly when they won the World Series in 2016 to end a 107-year drought between championships.

They were right at home in Tokyo facing the Los Angeles Dodgers and megastar Shohei Ohtani in a two-game series to open the Major League Baseball regular season. Chicago dropped the first game 4-1, then allowed a homer by Ohtani in a 6-3 defeat in the second game.

Dodgers fans easily outnumbered Cubs fans 10 to 1 at the Tokyo Dome. On the sheer interest level, Ohtani was probably 60-70% of the draw in the sellouts, with the Cubs and Dodgers splitting the rest.

“That’s what’s great about the Cubs, we're always the come-from-behind team,” said Zach Valavanis, a Cubs fan entering a theme bar in the Tokyo Dome complex, filled with Cubs logos and memorabilia — and dozens of other Chicago fans.

“I feel like that’s been the case forever,” Valavanis added, citing the come-from-behind effort to win the 2016 World Series.

Cubs batting practice was well attended. But the Dodgers batting practice was a spectacle with hundreds of photographers, reporters and video journalists staking out Ohtani and his two Japanese teammates — pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.

The Cubs have two Japanese players — pitchers Shota Imanaga and designated hitter Seiya Suzuki — who didn't go unnoticed. But they're not Dodgers.

“What did they (the Dodgers) spend — three, four, five billion dollars,” said Zach's brother Alex Valavanis, both wearing white Cubs jerseys. “I don’t think they can keep up that pace, but we’ll see.”

Cubs manager Craig Counsell kept it simple. He said being a very high-profile afterthought comes with the territory.

“We’re playing the world champions, you expect that from that perspective,” he said. “We’re playing against the most famous player in the world. So you expect it from that perspective as well.”

“When you’re the world champs, you get to enjoy the spoils of that — and that’s fair to me,” he added.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts kept his explanation even simpler.

“I think in totality, there’s still a few ballclubs that share that same lore of history," he said. “But baseball, a lot of it is cyclical, and so our hope is we can continue to ride this high tide as the Dodgers.

“I just think it’s more skewed because of Shohei. And nothing against the other Japanese players,” Roberts added. "But Shohei is just such a beast of this whole equation.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

A Chicago Cubs fan makes her way to her seat before an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

A Chicago Cubs fan makes her way to her seat before an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers walk around the Tokyo Dome ahead of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers walk around the Tokyo Dome ahead of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers walk around the Tokyo Dome ahed of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers walk around the Tokyo Dome ahed of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Chicago Cubs' fans walk around the Tokyo Dome ahed of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Chicago Cubs' fans walk around the Tokyo Dome ahed of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Fans hold up a Japanese national flag during team intorductions before an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Fans hold up a Japanese national flag during team intorductions before an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers walk around the Tokyo Dome ahed of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers walk around the Tokyo Dome ahed of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs take selfie at the Tokyo Dome ahead of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs take selfie at the Tokyo Dome ahead of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Recommended Articles
Hot · Posts