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Jeff Kassouf
SAN JOSE, Calif — The week leading up to Saturday’s NWSL Championship was overshadowed by concerns about the future of Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, alongside the league’s challenges in keeping its standout players under the salary cap.
However, as the final minutes elapsed at PayPal Park on Saturday, Gotham FC midfielder Rose Lavelle emerged as the key player, demonstrating the “magic” head coach Juan Carlos Amoros spoke of the day before, securing a 1-0 victory over Washington.
Lavelle’s brilliance in crucial moments propelled Gotham to a second championship in three seasons, despite the team’s rocky path during the playoffs.
“We put in so much effort to reach this moment,” Amoros expressed. “Becoming champions starts the moment the referee blows the whistle. Until that moment, you’re striving to achieve it, and once you become champions, it lasts forever.”
In the 80th minute, Lavelle executed a brilliant left-footed shot, slicing the ball into the net during a match dominated by midfield pauses. Gotham’s victory completed a remarkable playoff run, leaving the reliable Spirit with another runner-up finish.
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Gotham’s triumph epitomizes knockout soccer and demonstrates the right timing required to prevail in such contests. Throughout the playoffs, Gotham exhibited resilience, overcoming challenges including defeating the record-setting Kansas City Current in a tense conclusion and edging out the defending champions Orlando Pride in stoppage time with their lone shot on goal in the semifinal.
On Saturday, unexpected incidents benefitted Gotham while hindering the Spirit. Just before Lavelle’s goal, Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt suffered an injury, leaving Washington a player short for several minutes while she received treatment. Although she returned to the field, Gotham exploited this moment of vulnerability, with fullback Bruninha making a decisive cutback cross that Lavelle seized upon, found in space where Hershfelt would have been positioned.
Hershfelt and Croix Bethune were expected to control the midfield for Washington, but Lavelle, along with Jaedyn Shaw and Jaelin Howell, found ways to nullify the Spirit’s midfield dominance. Gotham may not have been flashy, but their success was intentional; it wasn’t simply luck or magic.
The “underdog” label often pinned on Gotham fails to capture their true stature. This is a squad that claimed the Concacaf title earlier this year, challenged for the top league positions last season, and boasts top talents, including Lavelle, Shaw, and Esther González.
Nevertheless, Gotham had struggled for consistency throughout the season, necessitating a challenging journey to this championship.
Ironically, the team that Amoros designed for flexibility and interchangeability saw its stars largely carry the load through the playoffs.
“We knew we possessed considerable talent, and I think we leaned on that throughout this playoff series, which is what ultimately led to our victory,” Lavelle commented on Saturday, donning her NWSL Championship winners’ jersey for the first time. “That’s what made the difference for us.”
Shaw shone with a goal and an assist in the quarterfinal victory against the top-seeded Current, followed by a game-winning goal in the semifinal against the Orlando Pride. But it was Lavelle’s strike that sealed the championship.
With two titles in three years and a Concacaf crown, Gotham has perfected the art of knockout soccer.
This unpredictability is what makes the NWSL and its playoff format so compelling. Despite Gotham not being the best team throughout the regular season—having lost out on the Shield to Kansas City, who set new records with their point total—Gotham triumphed by defeating that very Kansas City side and subsequently besting last year’s champions.
“Once we realized we couldn’t win the Shield, we accepted that in American sports, it’s either about winning the Shield or performing well in the playoffs—there’s no middle ground,” Amoros remarked. “We focused on getting to that stage, where we knew how to win as a team.”
The ongoing narrative in the NWSL centers around Rodman and her prospective future. Although limited by her MCL sprain, she played for more than 30 minutes off the bench on Saturday but was not a determining factor in the game. For the second consecutive year, the USWNT star experienced championship disappointment.
After the match, she was seen briefly on the bench before walking across the field to embrace her boyfriend, tennis player Ben Shelton. Whether this walk marks her last appearance in an NWSL stadium for the foreseeable future remains uncertain, as she assured reporters her decision wouldn’t be influenced by this heartbreaking loss. “Every team loses,” Rodman stated.
Ultimately, Saturday belonged to a Gotham squad that consistently found ways to win through November, even when outplayed. This encapsulates the bittersweet uncertainty that defines sports, especially within the NWSL.
Championships are defined by moments—moments of excellence for one team and misfortune for another. Gotham remained patient amidst the “high highs and low lows,” as Lavelle put it earlier that week. A day later, one moment of brilliance from Lavelle brought them the ultimate triumph.