Gotham FC booked their place in the NWSL playoff semifinal round by defeating visiting Seattle Reign FC 1-0 on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
The Bats will face a familiar foe in the Kansas City Current next weekend, though the date and time of their semifinal meeting will be determined by the result of Washington and Portland later on Sunday evening.
If Washington wins, Gotham will host the semifinal at Sports Illustrated Stadium next Sunday. Should Portland win, the Bats will welcome Kansas City to Icahn Stadium next Saturday.
Amorós, Players Condemn Sports Illustrated Stadium Pitch
Gotham were able to advance despite not recording a shot on goal in the contest. Several Gotham FC players and head coach Juan Carlos Amorós vented their frustration about the condition of the Sports Illustrated Stadium pitch.
“I feel almost obligated to apologize for the state of the pitch,” Juan Carlos Amorós said.
Veteran defender Jess Carter stated her frustration with the playing surface when she came through the mixed zone.
A fourth-minute corner routine gave Gotham an early lead. Jaedyn Shaw’s delivery led to a Jordyn Bugg own goal.
Lavelle, Howell Progressing Toward Increased Minutes
Gotham midfielder Rose Lavelle, who has dealt with a neck injury, was subject to a minutes limit. The 31-year-old midfielder was replaced by defender Leila Ouahabi to start the second half.
“As I always say, Gotham is, in my opinion, the best team in the league,” Ouahabi said in the mixed zone. “This mentality, this type of soccer is my characteristic, so I’m very happy to be here and compete in this type of game, because I’m this type of player who likes to play for every title, so I’m so proud to be here with this amazing team, this amazing club, so I’m very happy to be here.”
Fellow midfielder Jaelin Howell managed to log 66 minutes after suffering a right ankle injury in last Sunday’s NWSL regular-season finale victory over the Utah Royals. She was replaced by veteran midfielder Savannah McCaskill.
Shaw played the full 90 plus two minutes of stoppage time after being limited to 30 minutes against Utah.
If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting independent, local soccer journalism by buying me a coffee.
Contributions made through Buy Me a Coffee help support the time, travel and resources that go into bringing you on-the-ground coverage, reporting and original stories — without paywalls.
More Gotham FC Coverage
Enjoyed this story? Follow us for the latest updates! | Bluesky | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Leave a Reply