Gotham FC captain Tierna Davidson knows that clinching a playoff spot was only a single step toward the club’s greater ambitions.
The 28-year-old defender and Gotham’s leadership group are focusing on getting the little details right before the 2026 NWSL playoffs begin in early November.
“Everybody is on the same page of knowing that the job’s not done just because we’ve qualified for playoffs,” Davidson said during Thursday’s press conference. “It’s not nearly done. So I think we have a group that naturally wants to focus on the little details and are not content with just what we have now and know that we can bring so much more.
“Everybody is certainly on that page, and I think it’s been that way all season. So we’re really happy with how the group is feeling and how we’re all thinking about the next five games.”
With five regular-season games remaining, the defending NWSL champions hope to finish strong and stay ahead of the chasing Washington Spirit and San Diego Wave FC to lock up the No. 1 seed.
Currently, first-place Gotham are five points ahead of second-place Washington. Third-place San Diego is separated from Gotham by six points.
Gotham FC Look To Complete Trophy Treble
Davidson expressed that the entire squad is determined to capture the NWSL Shield. If Gotham can win the Shield, it will be a first in the club’s history. The Bats could complete a treble by winning the NWSL Shield and repeating as NWSL champions to go along with May’s triumph in the NWSL Challenge Cup.
“I think we’re very focused,” Davidson said during Thursday’s press conference. “I think we all have a goal to bring the Shield home. So I think for us, we’re focused day by day, making sure that we’re taking care of the small details so that come the weekend, we’re putting our best foot forward. We’re continuing to challenge ourselves in training, challenge each other to make sure that we’re successful on the weekend, but also continuing to build toward playoffs.”
Last season, Gotham struggled down the stretch and fell to the eighth seed before ultimately going on a remarkable run to lift the NWSL championship.
How Veteran Additions Have Made Gotham Stronger as the NWSL Playoffs Approach
This time around, Gotham has been sharper in the final weeks of the season. Veterans Guro Reiten, Denise O’Sullivan, Sam Kerr, Savannah McCaskill and Meredith Speck have added extra layers of experience and winning mentality.
“When you bring in international players that have played at the highest level, both for their national teams and for club, they’ve been in situations like this,” Davidson explained. “They bring great experience and a fantastic mentality. So absolutely, adding them is only a positive.”
Lead assistant coach Shaun Harris praised the veteran arrivals for adding to the club’s identity and for possessing the experience to make the right decisions in closing out victories.
“The new additions have been really good, first and foremost off the pitch, they’ve helped to add to the culture and the environment,” Harris said. “They’re really open and honest people and really want to give the best for the team. That’s always a priority for us.
“In and around the pitch, they have the experience and have seen these certain situations before. So it’s about, when there’s certain moments in a game, sometimes you have a game plan, but it’s like those kind of players, they have a feeling for certain situations that they might try to do one thing or another based on previous experiences. Stuff like game management, when you’re a goal up, 97, 98 minutes on the clock, those key players know exactly what to do in the right moments.”
Gotham’s On-Pitch Success Is Fueled by Intense Training Sessions
Speck and fellow recent addition Tess Boade have seen limited game time. Though Speck, Boade and rookie trio Talia Sommer, Andrea Kitahata and Teagan Wy aren’t receiving regular minutes, they’re still helping create an atmosphere of competitiveness in training.
“The players [who] are not getting as many minutes, any success that we’re having on the pitch is because of those players,” Harris said. “They’re turning up every day and they’re pushing those players to be the best they can.
“The intensity is super high. Everyone’s competitive, everyone wants to play. Then when it comes to the weekend, we’ve already done the hard part. So it’s about putting it into practice. I can’t speak highly enough of those players and the roles that they play and everyone is super positive and motivating at the same time. Obviously, everyone wants to play, but it really helps the team with that culture and the environment to not take your foot off the gas.”
Gotham FC will begin a two-match homestand against Chicago Stars FC on Friday. The match is scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. Eastern Time and will be streamed on Prime Video.
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