Gotham wins 1-0 in front of a sold-out Citi Field, mount comeback to win 3-2 vs Seattle at Icahn Stadium

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

CITI FIELD – A sold out crowd filled the stands at Citi Field last week as Gotham FC played host to the Washington Spirit in the Queens Classic. The match became the second-highest attended match in NWSL history, as well as the biggest women’s sporting event in New York City history.

The success of the match is a welcome sign for the club, now set to play home matches at Etihad Park in Queens starting in 2018. The club that has risen to fame and stardom over the past few years has a bright future ahead, and there’s no place better to realize it than in the World’s Borough.

ìWe feed off the fans’ energy, so knowing that this was going to be a really exciting home game, but also a big moment in history for this club and for the city, added just another special element to going out there,” said midfielder Rose Lavelle. “We feel so much pride getting to represent this club and for us to have this moment was really huge. Hopefully we can keep building off of this.”

Lavelle fed off of the energy at Citi Field for her decisive goal. A strong Gotham press forced a giveaway in Washington’s defensive third. Lavelle took a brilliant touch to put the ball between the legs of her defender before placing a beautifully chipped shot over the goalkeeper’s head.

Citi Field erupted for the 1st half goal, cheering furiously as Gotham’s defense and goalkeeping preserved the 1-0 scoreline. The Lavelle goal was the only mark on the scoresheet, giving Gotham a huge three points on the evening.

Unfortunately, the event didn’t go as smoothly as planned. With wildfire smoke billowing in from the north, it was a tough atmosphere for fans and players to weather for 90 minutes of playing time. To accommodate the conditions, the match was stopped for multiple hydration breaks in each half, with players seen using oxygen tanks to help catch their breath.

“The air quality was rough,” commented Washington and USWNT star Trinity Rodman. “If we have to have a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn’t be playing the game.”

The logistics of rescheduling an event of this size were impossible, especially with the match taking place during the MLB All-Star Break, guaranteeing no conflict with the Mets’ home schedule.

“At the end of the day there’s 40,000 people. It’s a really hard situation to work around,” Rodman said.

Gotham went from braving smoke at Citi Field to a torrential downpour at Randall’s Island just a few days later. Saturday’s rain pushed back their contest against Seattle. Eventually the teams took the field, this time in front of just a few thousand brave fans.

It seemed like this match was destined to go against Gotham as they conceded twice in the first half, including a penalty in the opening 15 minutes. Seattle was awarded another penalty in the 57th minute, but Maddie Dahlien’s shot struck the upright, giving the Bats a breath of life.

With 10 minutes to play, Gotham finally found their first goal through Esther González. The Spaniard tucked in a shot from a tight angle, assisted by Jaedyn Shaw. Then in stoppage time, the impossible happened.

For the second time, Shaw and González paired up, with the Gotham #9 knocking home the equalizing goal from the top of the 6-yard box. Then just a few minutes later, more Gotham pressure again opened the door for a rapid attack.

Sam Kerr pounced on the ball deep in Seattle’s half, carrying it into a dangerous spot inside the box. It rolled to Lavelle, who fired in the winning goal for a second straight game.

The win brought Gotham up to 2nd in the NWSL, joined by the rival Spirit with 30 points in 15 games, with Washington taking 1st via goal differential.

It’s been a tremendous first half of the NWSL for Gotham as they look to defend their 2025 championship. Now it’s time to see what the second half of the season has in store.