NJ/NY Gotham FC lives up to super team billing in NWSL quarterfinals, unseating Portland Thorns

HARRISON, New Jersey – The final quarterfinals of this year’s NWSL Playoffs felt like a changing of the guard, in a way. The Portland Thorns, the most successful team in the league, were the underdogs against NJ/NY Gotham FC, the reigning champions who surprised many by winning last season’s championship after a history of being one of the last inhabitants of the NWSL. However, Gotham’s status as a favorite this time around was no surprise, and neither was its eventual 2-1 victory in front of a record crowd on Sunday.

This is not to say that it was not a competitive game. The youth-focused Thorns were methodical, opting to absorb Gotham’s pressure and limit the hosts to 0.83 expected goals on 15 shots, while managing 0.92 expected goals of their own on just six shots. That strategy allowed the visitors to find the equalizer in the 75th minute through Reilyn Turner, just eight minutes after Tierna Davidson broke the deadlock, setting up a high-risk finish. However, Gotham pulled it off, as the Thorns have historically done: trusting in the international talent they have begun to accumulate.

The Gotham minutes read in part like a long list of players on the United States women’s national team. Davidson scored the first goal with Lynn Williams providing the assist, while Rose Lavelle scored the game-winner in the sixth minute of overtime. A look at their team sheet only enlarges the picture: Emily Sonnett and Yazmeen Ryan were starters, as was Germany’s Ann-Katrin Berger, Olympic bronze winner, and Spanish Women’s World Cup champion Esther. Gonzalez. It’s the textbook definition of a super team, and Gotham crossed the line on Sunday.

“I thought we did a good job controlling the game, dominating the game,” Davidson described it after the game. “We knew opportunities were coming and we needed to make one. Portland is always dangerous in transition. You can’t sleep for a second, so we knew it was important to take advantage of the opportunities we had. We were getting big enough to be a part of “That and having Rose do that in overtime was huge for us to get that win, but not have to go to overtime.”

The thing about super teams, however, is that they are masters of the tangible and the intangible. The ability to navigate a close game in the final moments comes down to both quality and belief or, as Williams argued, experience.

“There are World Cup winners, Olympic champions, NWSL champions, people who just know what it takes to get over that threshold, get over the line,” she said.

Although the story of Gotham’s superteam seems like it unfolded overnight, their underdog run to the NWSL Championship last year offers a unique foundation for their transformation. Head coach Juan Carlos Amorós isn’t exactly working with a new team, despite signing four USWNT stars as free agents over the winter. Amorós and company have relied so much on those who took them to the podium last year: Williams, Gonzales and Ryan were part of that team, as were starters Nealy Martin and Mandy Freeman. Martin was also arguably Gotham’s best player in midfield, while Freeman, who has played for the club since 2017 when they were still known as Sky Blue FC, earned a starting role during the playoff run after years of service.

Gotham’s roster is, at first glance, a mix of the league’s superstars and unsung heroes, but the winners’ medals speak volumes. This creates a particularly competitive environment in training camp, which Williams compared to competing for the national team.

“There will always be the pressure to show up every day, knowing that someone is coming to push you to be better and that’s what we’ve brought here,” he said. “Knowing that you have competition here every day at training camp, but you’re also trying to be your best person.”

Gotham’s assembly of champions has undoubtedly been its greatest asset, and not just because of the intangibles. They have arguably the deepest bench in the NWSL and have the ability to survive any absence, or several. Their spot in the playoff semifinals comes after Gotham was a finalist in this year’s NWSL x Liga MX Women’s Summer Cup and punched their ticket to the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup W next May. with Amorós rotating between his options to achieve that success. The Summer Cup in particular was a showcase for Gotham’s department – most of the tournament was played during the Olympics, during which seven players returned home with a medal – while that strategy has also been crucial as Gotham It has the longest unbeaten streak in the league. of any of the semi-finalists.

“For us here in Gotham, the key is that we treat all the players the same and try to prepare each one of them to be ready for whatever responsibility we think can help the team, and then it’s up to them to be ready. prepared to intervene,” Amorós said. “I have no words for this group because, honestly, it’s been crazy, the schedule we’ve had, the amount of games… everyone is ready to step in, help the team perform, win and compete and compete and compete. Because “In football that’s the only thing that matters. Sometimes it’s like you can play fantastic but you need 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 any given day. Sunday’s win was no different: Delanie Sheehan recorded the assist on Lavelle’s goal just seven minutes after coming on, a year after scoring the only goal in Gotham’s playoff quarterfinal victory over the North Carolina Courage .

“Because of our packed game schedule and the different types of games we’ve been playing, it’s important for everyone to contribute and step up in the big moments and I think that’s what everyone has done,” Davidson said. “So for everyone to stay united and ready no matter what role they were asked to play, I think we’ve seen players step up when needed and that’s what this team is about. I think this is really a great experience.” equipment because one to 25 is purchased and ready to go when needed.

Williams argues that their full roster gives them the maximum competitive advantage, making them a credible contender to win the NWSL Championship in less than two weeks.

“I think the good thing about our team is the depth we have and I think because we’re so good, we wear people down over time,” he said. “If one of us is tired, someone else gets up and walks in and you’re like, ‘Shit. Now here’s another very talented person.’ … I think we can still get better, which, in my personal opinion, is a scary thought.”