Gotham FC Triumphs Over Washington Spirit in NWSL Championship

Rose Lavelle broke the deadlock in the closing moments as Gotham FC edged out the Washington Spirit 1-0 on Saturday night, clinching their second title in the National Women's Soccer League.

The decisive play came when Bruninha, brought in during the second half, charged down the left flank. She delivered a pass to Lavelle, who found the net with a precision left-footed shot, threading it past Spirit keeper Aubrey Kingsbury low into the corner.

Lavelle, who previously played for Seattle Reign, celebrated her inaugural championship medal, having missed out in 2023 when her team fell to Gotham despite her scoring effort.

Gotham FC set the pace early with a trio of attempts by Jaedyn Shaw, but as time passed, the game transformed into a more cautious and tense contest.

The first half's most notable moment saw Spirit's Hal Hershfelt execute a flawlessly timed slide tackle, dispossessing Midge Purce effectively.

Later in the game, Trinity Rodman, battling a knee injury since October, came on as a substitute and energized the stadium. Despite her presence, the Spirit struggled to generate scoring opportunities, managing possession slightly more at 53% but trailing Gotham in shots 12-6, ending without a shot on goal.

Despite the efforts, the Spirit faced defeat in their second consecutive NWSL final, having been bested the previous year by the Orlando Pride.

Their path to the final was marked by a hard-fought penalty shootout victory over Racing Louisville and a disciplined win against Portland Thorns.

Gotham's journey defied expectations; they conquered top-ranked Kansas City Current and dethroned title-holders Pride en route to their unlikely championship.

Marking history, Gotham became the first eighth seed to secure the NWSL title, following up their groundbreaking 2023 triumph as a sixth seed.

Gotham's head coach, Juan Carlos Amoros, now boasts an impressive record with seven playoff victories and two championship titles to his name.

© 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This content may not be republished or distributed without permission.