After an improbable postseason surge from the No. 8 seed, Gotham FC now stands one match away from securing its second title in three years when it faces the Washington Spirit in Saturday’s NWSL Championship at PayPal Park.
Gotham arrives as the first eighth-seeded team to reach the title match and has not lost outright in seven straight playoff games (6-0-1), tying the longest streak in league history. The club has also extended its league record with four road playoff wins, including two this postseason. It is Gotham’s second championship appearance in three seasons after winning the 2023 title as a No. 6 seed.
The Bats’ 2025 postseason run has featured the same late-game resilience that defined its earlier success. Gotham handed the Kansas City Current its only home loss of the year in the quarterfinals when Katie Stengel scored in the 121st minute, the latest game-winning goal in NWSL playoff history. In the semifinal, Jaedyn Shaw curled in a free-kick winner deep into stoppage time to eliminate Orlando. With two goals and an assist in her debut Gotham postseason, Shaw is now one of only nine players in league history to have a hand in at least three goals in a single playoff campaign. Every previous player to hit that mark went on to win the championship. Only three players have ever exceeded that total in a single year: Barbra Banda in 2024 (five), Lynn Biyendolo in 2016 (four) and Lauren Holiday in 2014 (four).
Gotham has yet to concede to Washington in three meetings this season (1-0-2). Midge Purce, the 2023 championship MVP, has worked back into form, Esther González returned to the starting XI last week, and Rose Lavelle continues to steady the midfield. Emily Sonnett, the most experienced playoff performer in league history, again anchors a veteran group.
Washington, meanwhile, brings one of the league’s most consistently productive attacks. Since the summer break, five Spirit players have recorded at least five goal contributions — Gift Monday and Trinity Rodman with seven each, Rosemonde Kouassi with six, and Croix Bethune and Sofia Cantore with five apiece — giving Washington threats at every line of the field. The Spirit advanced with a 2–0 semifinal win over Portland after opening the postseason with a penalty shootout victory sparked by two saves from Aubrey Kingsbury, the league’s all-time leader in shootout stops. Washington has not won a match this season after conceding first, an opening Gotham will try to target early.
Midfielder Rose Lavelle spoke about the level of excitement heading into the NWSL Championship:
“High level of excitement. Anytime you have the opportunity to compete for a trophy, it’s special. With the group we have and all that we’ve gone through the whole season, it would be icing on the cake. Getting to be part of the New York–New Jersey sports market is so cool. To be able to bring a trophy back to that would be really special. Living in the playoffs is a whole different piece. When you get to this point, you just have to go out, have fun and stay present.”
Midfielder Jaedyn Shaw discussed proving Gotham is not an underdog:
“With the kind of roster that we have, knowing that people are counting us out — being the eighth seed and coming in and playing Kansas City, who basically dominated the entire season — going into that game, we knew we were going to have to show them who we were and show them who we are. We have such an incredible amount of experience on our team. You can just tell how everybody was acting going into that game and going into this. Mentality is such a big thing. It’s something that’s going to carry us through the hard moments and the great moments.”
Head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said of the team’s work leading up to the final:
“I feel proud because in the end, it’s so many hours and months of work — not just mine, but from the players, the rest of the staff, the owners, medical, operations. Everyone puts so much effort and time into trying to achieve this objective of reaching the final and winning the championship. In the tougher moments, we’ve focused a lot on the process, on what we were doing well, on the things we needed to improve. And I think that’s what has led us to generate a successful season, which we hope can be capped off tomorrow with the championship.”
Saturday’s final brings the league’s most familiar rivalry to its highest stage. Gotham chases a second title in three seasons, this time as the most unexpected finalist in league history, while Washington looks to convert its attacking depth into its first championship since 2021. After 43 meetings and another season of twists, the Spirit and the Bats meet once more, this time with a trophy on the line and a rivalry ready for its next chapter.
