HARRISON, NJ – The final quarterfinal of this year’s NWSL Playoffs felt like the changing of the guard in some ways. The Portland Thorns, the league’s most successful team, were underdogs against NJ/NY Gotham FC, the reigning champions who surprised many by winning the championship last season after being one of the NWSL’s bottom dwellers in the past been. Gotham’s status as favorites this time around wasn’t a surprise, though, and neither was their eventual 2-1 victory in front of a record crowd on Sunday.
That’s not to say it wasn’t a competitive game. The youth-oriented Thorns were methodical, opting to absorb Gotham’s pressure and limit the hosts to 0.83 expected goals from 15 shots, while scoring 0.92 expected goals from just six shots themselves. That strategy allowed the visitors to find an equalizer through Reilyn Turner in the 75th minute, just eight minutes after Tierna Davidson had broken the deadlock with a high-stakes finish. Gotham pulled this one out, though, in a way that the Thorns have historically done: relying on the international talent they’ve started hoarding.
The scoresheet for Gotham reads in part like a laundry list of U.S. women’s national team players. Davidson scored the opening goal while Lynn Williams provided the assist, while Rose Lavelle scored the match winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time. A look at their team sheet only makes the picture bigger: Emily Sonnett and Yazmeen Ryan started, as did German Olympic bronze winner Ann-Katrin Berger and Spanish World Cup champion Esther Gonzalez. It’s the textbook definition of a super team and it took Gotham over the finish line on Sunday.
“I think we controlled the game well and dominated the game,” Davidson described it after the match. “We knew chances were coming and we had to finish one. Portland is always dangerous in transition. You can’t go to sleep, not even for a second, and so we knew it was important that we took the chances we had redeem.” We managed to be a part of that and to have Rose do that in stoppage time was so big for us to get that win but not have to go to extra time.”
The thing about superteams, though, is that they are masters of the tangible and intangible. The ability to navigate a tight game in the dying moments comes down to quality as much as faith or, as Williams argued, experience.
“You have World Cup winners, Olympic champions, NWSL champions, people who just know what it takes to get over that hurdle, get over that barrier,” she said.
While the story of Gotham’s superteam seems like it developed overnight, their underdog run to last year’s NWSL Championship provides a unique foundation for their transformation. Head coach Juan Carlos Amoros isn’t exactly working with a brand new team, despite signing four USWNT stars as free agents last winter. Amoros and company relied just as much on those who got them on stage last year; Williams, Gonzales and Ryan were part of that team, as were starters Nealy Martin and Mandy Freeman. Martin was arguably Gotham’s best player in midfield, while Freeman, who had played for the club since 2017 when they were known as Sky Blue FC, earned a starting role during the play-offs after years of service.
At first glance, Gotham’s roster is a mix of superstars and unsung heroes of the league, but the winners’ medals speak for themselves. It creates a highly competitive environment on the training pitch, which Williams likened to competing for the national team.
“There’s always going to be a pressure to show up every day knowing that someone is coming to push you to be better and that’s what we brought in here,” she said. “Knowing that you have a game here every day on the training field, but that you also just try to be your best person.”
Gotham’s collection of champions has undoubtedly been their greatest asset – and not just because of the intangibles. They have perhaps the deepest bench in the NWSL and possess the ability to survive any absence, or several. Their place in the semi-finals of the play-offs comes after Gotham were finalists in this year’s NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup and secured their ticket to the semi-finals of the Concacaf W Champions Cup in May next year, with Amoros varied his options to achieve that success. The Summer Cup in particular was a showcase for Gotham’s division – most of the tournament was played during the Olympics, with seven players taking home a medal, while that strategy was also crucial as Gotham boasts the longest undefeated series in the competition. from one of the semi-finalists.
“For us here at Gotham, the key is that we treat every player the same and that we try to prepare everyone for whatever responsibility we think can help the team. And then it’s up to them to do that.” Be prepared to intervene,” Amoros said. “I have no words for this group, because honestly it has been crazy, the schedule we have had, the number of matches. Everyone is ready to step in, help the team perform, win and compete and compete and compete Because in football is all that matters. Sometimes it’s like you can play great, but you have to win and they’ve gone over the limit.”
There is a remarkable willingness to contribute regardless of the role a player is assigned on a given day. Sunday’s win was no different, with Delanie Sheehan notching the assist on Lavelle’s goal just seven minutes after she came on, a year after scoring the only goal in Gotham’s quarterfinal playoff victory over the North Carolina Courage.
“Because of our busy schedule and the different types of games we’ve been playing, it’s important that everyone contributes and goes the extra mile in big moments and I think everyone has done that,” Davidson said. “So to make sure that everyone stays connected and stays ready no matter what role they’ve been asked to play, I think we’ve seen players step up when they needed to, and that’s what this team is all about. I think this is really great.” team because one through 25 has been purchased and is ready to go when needed.”
Williams claims their stacked roster gives them the ultimate competitive advantage, making them a credible contender to win the NWSL Championship in less than two weeks.
“I think what’s really cool about our team is the depth that we have and I think because we’re so good, we just wear people down over time,” she said. “If one of us is tired, someone else gets up and goes in and you say, ‘Crap. Now another very talented person comes in.’ … I think we can still improve, which is a scary thought in my personal opinion.