The defending champion Gotham FC is one win away from a return trip to the NWSL Final after downing the Portland Thorns 2-1 on Sunday.
A stoppage-time goal by Rose Lavelle was the difference for New York, who snatched victory in front of a packed Red Bull Arena crowd. They will now play the Washington Spirit in the semifinals of the NWSL playoffs.
After a back-and-forth first half, Gotham found the back of the net first. On a free kick, the ball found the foot of center-back Tierna Davidson, who, despite being the only blue shirt in a sea of pink, sent the ball off Thornes goalkeeper Shelby Hogan and into the back of the net, giving the Gotham a lead with just over 20 minutes remaining in the contest.
However, the Thorns were able to equalize seven minutes later. Much like Gotham’s first goal, it came from a free kick. On a set piece, 19-year-old midfielder Olivia Moultrie sent a perfectly placed ball that found the head of Reilyn Turner, which trickled past Gotham goalie Ann-Katrin Berger and tied the game at one apiece.
With the game tied entering a lengthy 12-minute stoppage time, it looked as if things were destined for penalties. However, seven minutes into added time, Gotham was able to snatch victory and continue their quest to repeat as champions. Lavelle was the hero, finding the back of the net off of a perfect feed by Delanie Sheehan.
Although it was a narrow victory, the Gotham controlled the game, recording 16 shot attempts to the Thorns’ six and five shots on goal to Portland’s two. They also dominated possession, controlling the ball 57% of the time.
Gotham’s semifinal opponent, Washington, finished the 2024 season with an identical 56 points, but had one more win and a superior goal difference to take the No. 2 seed. They feature US international Trinity Rodman, who was one of the high-scoring heroes for the Americans during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She is a finalist for NWSL MVP, scoring eight goals with six assists in 23 league matches.
New York and Washington will square off on Saturday afternoon at Audi Field in D.C. Kick-off is slated for 12 p.m. ET.
