Gotham FC Completes Cinderella Story

Rose Lavelle connected on a one-time strike, sending the ball past Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury to give Gotham FC a 1-0 lead in the 79th minute which was all they would need to win the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) title.

The game was played at PayPal Park in San Jose, California in front of a sellout crowd over 18,000.

Watch highlights here:  https://youtu.be/PXsfinzu2u4?si=ih7ynlar69YyvGze

Lavelle’s goal was the second of her career in a championship game. Her first came against Gotham FC in the 2023 championship game.

Gotham FC last won the title in 2023 over San Diego. The Washington Spirit came up short for 2nd year. Lost 1-0 to Orlando in last year’s final.

The team had a remarkable run in the postseason. After finishing eighth place in the regular season, they knocked off top-seed and regular season champions Kansas City Current 2-1 in extra time. In the semifinals, they edged defending champion Orlando Pride 1-0.

Link to final standings: https://www.espn.com/soccer/standings/_/league/usa.nwsl