HARRISON — Gotham FC overcame an early setback to secure a thrilling 3-1 victory over Angel City FC on Sunday in a nationally televised showdown, giving a major boost to their momentum in the tightly contested NWSL playoff race.
Angel City struck in the opening two minutes, catching Gotham off guard. Despite controlling possession and creating chances throughout the first half, the Bats were unable to convert, leaving the score 1-0 in favor of the visitors at halftime. Gotham’s defense, anchored by Ann-Katrin Berger, limited further damage, including a key save to keep the team within reach.
Andy Spence’s halftime substitutions paid immediate dividends. Midge Purce and Rose Lavelle replaced Josefine Hasbo and Sarah Schupansky, injecting fresh energy into Gotham’s attack. Just two minutes into the second half, Geyse showcased her strength and vision, threading a beautiful through ball to Purce. Using her blistering pace to beat the defender, Purce squared it perfectly to Gabi Portilho, who calmly tapped it in to level the score at 1-1.
Then, just four minutes later, Bruninha powered down the right flank and delivered a low cross that Angel City keeper Hannah Seabert could only spill. Lavelle reacted instantly, poking the ball home to give the Bats a 2-1 lead, turning the game firmly in Gotham’s favor. It was Lavelle’s first goal of the 2025 regular season, her first since November 10, 2024, in the NWSL playoff quarterfinals against Portland, and her 17th career regular-season goal. This also marked her second career goal as a substitute.
Gotham had clearly found their rhythm, and the goals kept coming. A slick linkup down the left saw Portilho thread a precise pass to Geyse, who quickly laid it off to Jaelin Howell just outside the box. Howell didn’t hesitate—her first-time strike thundered off the crossbar and into the net, extending Gotham’s lead to 3-1. Howell has now scored three goals in her last seven matches and recorded her third career goal in her 70th NWSL regular-season appearance. Geyse earned her second assist of the season on the goal.
This win marks Gotham’s first win this season when trailing at halftime (1-3-0) and the first time they’ve scored multiple goals in the second half since April 19, 2025, also against Angel City. It’s the first time the Bats have scored three goals in a match since June 14, 2025, and the first three-goal performance at home since April 13. The win improves Gotham’s record to 7-6-6 (27 points) and moves them up to sixth place, giving the team a major boost in the intense playoff race.
Andy Spence on momentum:
“Obviously, when you concede that early, you’ve got a lot of time to still impact the game. It’s about remaining calm… When you score, the key is to build on that momentum. You saw the energy from the crowd, the players thrived off that, and the opposition struggled to keep up with the speed we injected into the game. It’s always about maintaining focus—if you lose your shape, you give them an opening. I think we did a good job of keeping control once we got going.”
Midge Purce on consistency:
“We’re at that point in the season where we’re trying to build off the fundamentals… If we all get healthy, we’ll reach the full strength of what Gotham actually is, and that consistency will come. It’s also about trusting each other and continuing to grow together on the field. Every game is an opportunity to reinforce what we’re capable of.”
Rose Lavelle on confidence:
“Just continuing to build on each performance and learn from each one… It helps when we have almost our full-strength squad. As the game went on, we really grew into it and gained confidence. We know there’s still work to do, but every win like this helps build belief and momentum as we push deeper into the season.”
Gotham enters a crucial three-match road swing on the back of a three-game winning streak, starting Friday at Snapdragon Stadium against San Diego Wave FC. The Bats aim to carry their momentum away from home as they continue their push in the NWSL playoff race.
