When Rose Lavelle scored the winning goal for the US in the 2019 World Cup, it marked a defining moment in her career. Fast forward six years, three club transfers, and nearly 100 national team appearances later, she captured her first NWSL title in a similarly impactful fashion.
In a closely contested final on Saturday, Lavelle proved pivotal for Gotham FC, seizing a rare scoring opportunity to place her shot in the far corner, leading to a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit. The goal broke through a tense match characterized by fierce rivalry, as Gotham capitalized on a moment of hesitation from Spirit manager Adrián González.
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“Oh my gosh. It’s so surreal,” Lavelle expressed to the CBS broadcast after the match concluded.
Having won two of the past three NWSL Championships, Gotham found success again despite Lavelle previously experiencing defeat in the club’s first title win against the Seattle Reign in 2023. At that time, Gotham was deemed the underdog, clinching a playoff spot on the final day and rallying behind the mid-season acquisition of World Cup champion Esther González for an unexpected championship run.
In 2025, Gotham faced challenges, closing the season with four consecutive losses that left them in eighth place in the playoffs, leading many to consider them underdogs once again. However, this summer’s big signing, Jaedyn Shaw, boldly proclaimed, “underdog, my ass,” turning it into a collective rallying cry for the team.
It wasn’t just blind optimism that typically propels teams toward a title; it also served as a reminder of the immense potential Gotham displayed just 18 months earlier when they were viewed as a superteam on the brink of greatness.
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After the 2023 final, Lavelle transitioned from Seattle to Gotham during the winter transfer window alongside three of her US teammates: Emily Sonnett, Crystal Dunn, and Tierna Davidson, with hopes of forming a dynasty under coach Juan Carlos Amorós.
However, injuries hindered all four players in 2024, limiting their contributions as the US secured Olympic gold. Even when the team was fully assembled, their play often lacked cohesion. Despite this, Gotham still reached the 2024 semi-finals, only to bow out against the Spirit in a thrilling penalty shootout.
This time, the neutral-site final in San Jose showcased both teams battling in front of a lively sold-out crowd at PayPal Park.
The game reached a fever pitch in the 55th minute when Trinity Rodman was substituted into the match for the Spirit. Having struggled with persistent back issues and sidelined recently by a knee sprain, Rodman made a significant return. However, as she adjusted to the game, Spirit defensive midfielder Hal Hershfelt went down with an injury, forcing the Spirit to play short-handed rather than immediately substituting.
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Seconds later, Gotham launched a counter-attack down the right flank, overwhelming the compromised Hershfelt. After an initial shot was blocked, Lavelle capitalized on the loose ball, expertly curling her shot past goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury into the corner of the net.
Gonzalez made a change only after the decisive moment had passed.
Lavelle’s goal exemplified the kind of brilliance that top players display in high-stakes situations, showing why Gotham’s aspirations of building a dynasty are very much alive.
The match provided little relief for a Spirit team that faced challenges throughout 2025. Midway through the season, Washington’s coaching staff faced a shakeup with head coach Jonatan Giráldez departing for OL Lyonnes. Around the same time, Rodman dealt with her own injuries as she returned from back issues, only to suffer an MCL sprain shortly thereafter.
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Questions surrounding Rodman’s future intensified as European teams showed interest in signing her before she enters free agency at year’s end, prompting the Spirit to lobby NWSL officials for adjustments to the salary cap to retain her.
In the dying moments of stoppage time, another unfortunate incident occurred. After the league’s efforts to promote itself around its stars, Rodman was left on the ground in discomfort, raising further concerns about her health and contract status moving forward.
For the Spirit, it’s a matter of pondering what might have been had they acted sooner to address the injury to Hershfelt. Meanwhile, Gotham, now the fourth club to become a two-time champion at the expense of their rivals, will look to build on this success as they aim for another title run in 2026.