HARRISON, NJ — Gotham FC are now officially the best team in the NWSL after clinching the NWSL Shield for the first time in club history on Decision Day.
For a team that has entered two of the last three postseasons as the last seed, Gotham were able to flip the script this year, bringing home the Shield in front of home fans who have been waiting over a decade to see their team finish on top. It was a chilly night in Harrison, but the home supporters stayed active through their team’s 2-0 defeat of the Utah Royals.
NWSL Decision Day, when all teams played simultaneously, was chaotic and nerve-wracking for some. But Gotham were in control of their own destiny, only having to win or draw in order to clinch the Shield, which is awarded to the team with the best regular season record.
While Gotham had some ups and downs early on in the season, they have been league leaders at the top of the table since July. However, a rising San Diego Wave side coupled with some injuries for Gotham left the Shield up for grabs for the final game of the season.
Norwegian national Guro Reiten put Gotham ahead in the ninth minute, off of a beautiful cross from winger Midge Purce that passed by Utah goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn to find the feet of Reiten.
Purce had herself a game, tallying two assists and continually beating defenders on the right side to loft balls into the box.
On the other side of the country, San Diego was playing Bay FC. The Wave would be able to clinch the shield with a win and a Gotham loss, and they kept pressure on the no. 1 team by going ahead in the ninth minute off a beautiful goal by Mimi Van Zanten.
Back in New Jersey, both McGlynn and Ann-Katrin Berger demonstrated why they receive frequent national team call-ups, making several key saves for their respective sides.
In a season where Gotham has struggled with injuries, things got worse for the Bats in the 20th minute when midfielder Jaelin Howell went down with an ankle injury. Savannah McCaskill came on for Howell immediately, and made her presence in the midfield known despite limited playing time over the second half of this season.
Towards the middle of the first half, both teams settled into the game, with limited chances to close out the half.
Things looked up for the home side as the completion of the regular season drew closer. While neither Rose Lavelle nor Jaedyn Shaw started, both subbed on in the second half much to the delight of the home crowd. Both energized the game and brought some serious firepower to the Gotham attack.
Gotham’s second goal came again from a Purce assist off the right wing. The ball found Shaw, who was able to slide it past McGlynn and find the back of the net with some help from the far post.
With Sunday night’s loss, Utah’s winless streak against Gotham since 2024 continued. Despite consistently maintaining nearly half the possession throughout the game, the Royals couldn’t put together a cohesive, dangerous attack without the injured Mina Tanaka.
The camaraderie amongst the Gotham squad is clear. Gotham winning the Shield was the culmination of a long season (they started in January with the Women’s Champions Cup) riddled with injuries, yet the squad their roles and did whatever was asked of them in order to win.
After the match, the emphasis from players, coaches, and front office staff was the team win, crediting all players on the squad, whether they played lots of minutes over the course of the season or few with the win. Defender Tierna Davidson, having returned from a long injury at the onset of the season, credited all of the players in the locker room for this club achievement.
“We showed a lot of resilience this season. We’ve played soccer in a lot of countries. We started January 2nd for preseason so it’s been a very long year and I’m very proud of everybody’s contribution,” the captain said. “It has taken every single person on our roster to get to this point. So we’re not done yet, but we’re very proud of the group.”
While the players and coaches expressed their pride in the group for winning the Shield, the Bats already have their sights set on the championship. The sentiments from the home side mirrored murmurings from the greater soccer community around the value of the Shield as compared to the Championship.
When asked about the moment she lifted the shield, Purce said, “It’s a good feeling. I mean, I like the Shield. I’m American, though: I want the Championship.”
She went on to explain, “The Shield is objectively more impressive, obviously. You are the best team throughout the entire season — it is so difficult to do it. But, it’s still America, and we like playoffs. And we like championships. So, they’re so different and I’m so grateful and I’m just really humbled to be able to do that with such a special team. But I don’t think anything would validate a championship other than a Championship.”
Right now, Gotham holds all the NWSL Shield, Championship, and the Challenge Cup. No NWSL team has ever won the domestic treble in the same season; Gotham could be the first.
“It’s definitely a historic day for the club. I think, at least for a week, we are champions of the Championship, champions of the Challenge Cup, and now we are champions of the Shield, which means that basically we’re winners of everything,” Head coach Juan Carlos Amorós joked. “We’re gonna try to win the Championship again.”
The club’s run to the Championship starts on Sunday, Nov. 8, when the Seattle Reign visit New Jersey for what could be veteran Jess Fishlock’s final NWSL match. Cue the music.
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
