CHESTER— Gotham FC secured its place in the 2025-26 Concacaf W Champions Cup semifinals Wednesday night with a 0-0 draw against rival Washington Spirit at Subaru Park.
The point moved Gotham (3-0-1, 10 points) clear of third-place CF Monterrey, which has two group stage games remaining but only three points from its first two matches. The result ensures Gotham remains unbeaten in all four group stage matches this year and maintains its perfect record in Concacaf W Champions Cup play.
The match was tightly contested from the start as both teams, preparing for a high-stakes NWSL postseason, approached the game with caution. Gotham created the clearest opportunities. Katie Stengel rattled the post midway through the second half after a scramble in front of goal, and Josefine Hasbo struck the crossbar with a long-range effort moments later.
Midfielder Sarah Schupansky led the attack with four shots, including two on target, while midfielder Jaelin Howell dominated the midfield, winning eight duels to lead both teams. Goalkeeper Shelby Hogan made her third group stage start and recorded her second clean sheet in Concacaf W Champions Cup play, saving all three shots she faced and earning player-of-the-match honors.
Gotham also extended its unbeaten run to 10 matches across all competitions and remained undefeated against Washington in 2025 (1-0-2), not conceding a goal in any of the three meetings. The club’s all-time record against the Spirit now stands at (15-17-11).
HEAD COACH JUAN CARLOS AMORÓS
Thoughts on the match
“Everyone out there was really giving 200%, and for us to be again in the semifinal qualified, it’s a moment of pride as a club. This competition is really, really difficult. It requires a lot. It demands a lot. It has a lot of impact in the other competitions we play, and I can only praise my players, our staff for the work they put in. We haven’t lost a game (over two years of the competition). We would have liked to win the game, but in the end, it was a draw and I’m very, very happy for the players and the staff.”
FORWARD KHYAH HARPER
On tonight’s match and advancing to Concacaf W Champions Cup semifinals
“To add on, I think today also shows the quality of the NWSL, with two teams advancing to the next round. Both teams put in great performances.”
On opportunities in Concacaf vs. NWSL
“Getting the chance to play in these games helps us show our quality and put into action everything we’ve worked on in practice. It’s about building our style of play and producing on the field. I think it really shows how well Gotham develops players”
MIDFIELDER SOFIA COOK
On advancing into the Concacaf W Champions Cup semifinals after draw with Washington
“I think we put in a really strong team performance on both offense and defense. They had some good saves, but that also showed how many strong attacks we created. It was a great team effort, and I’m super grateful to have started today and gotten minutes against such a good opponent.”
The Bats now return to Sports Illustrated Stadium to conclude their three-match NWSL homestand. Gotham will host Seattle Reign FC in its penultimate regular-season home match on Sunday, October 5, at 4 p.m. ET.
