"A historic finish for Gotham FC’s Cinderella run."
CALIFORNIA– Gotham FC remains victorious yet again, as they capture their second championship in three years after their one goal win over Spirit.
Rose Lavelle in the 80th minute scored the first goal of the night, and that was enough as Gotham held strong on defense not allowing Spirit to score. A full circle moment for Lavelle, as in 2023 she scored against Gotham FC for the Seattle Reign, where they ended up losing to Gotham in the championship. Now Lavelle has scored yet again in the NSWL championship, this time the goal being the biggest of her career as it was the eventual game winner.
A historic finish for Gotham FC’s Cinderella run. It was the first time an eighth seed has won the NSWL championship in history. Prior to defeating the Spirit, they took on top-seeded Kansas City Current and the Orlando Pride.
As for the Spirit, this is their second consecutive loss in the final, as they lost to the Orlando pride 1-0 last year. They have struggled to make that last gasp effort in the championship to push themselves over the top and reach glory.
The unsung hero of the NSWL final would be Gotham’s defense. Allowing zero goals to one of the most aggressive offenses in the league is no easy match. Yet with the finisher from Lavelle, the defense holding strong would be the eventual reason for the win.
Key Stat
First eighth seed to win the NSWL championship in history.
Final Score
Gotham FC 1, Spirit 0
