Gotham FC will look to close its FIFA Women’s Champions Cup campaign on a positive note Sunday when it faces Moroccan side ASFAR in the third-place match at Arsenal Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 2:45 p.m. GMT (9:45 a.m. ET).
The match serves as the final fixture of the inaugural intercontinental competition for Gotham, which narrowly missed a place in the final Wednesday with a 1–0 semifinal loss to Brazil’s Corinthians. Gotham controlled long stretches of the match, outshooting Corinthians and generating repeated entries into the attacking third, but struggled to convert its chances. A late goal from Corinthians captain Gabi Zanotti proved decisive.
Head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said the opportunity to compete at Arsenal Stadium, even with the title no longer at stake, remains significant for the club.
“For us, it’s a fantastic opportunity,” Amorós said. “We wanted to be competing for gold, but now we have the chance to bring a bronze medal home.”
Gotham enters Sunday’s match focused on translating performance into results. Midfielder Savannah McCaskill said the group believes the foundation is already in place after the semifinal showing.
“We want to go out and show that we can score goals and finish off the opportunities that we created,” McCaskill said. “We had really good moments of how we want to play as a team. We just have to put it all together.”
ASFAR also arrives in the third-place match following a semifinal loss, falling 6–0 to European champions Arsenal on Wednesday. The Moroccan champions conceded three goals in the opening 21 minutes and were unable to sustain attacking pressure as Arsenal’s pace and quality dictated the match.
Despite the scoreline, Amorós emphasized that ASFAR presents a different challenge and should not be judged solely on the semifinal result. He pointed to the club’s close ties with the Moroccan national team and its growing infrastructure within women’s football.
“They are a solid team with a very clear structure,” Amorós said. “Most of their players are from the national team, and they have a close connection between club and country.”
Amorós highlighted defender Hajar Saïd as a young player who stood out on film and noted the experience of veterans such as Fatima Tagnaout and Nouhaila Benzina. He also identified forward Sanaâ Mssoudy as ASFAR’s most dangerous attacking option, particularly in transition, after she frequently played high up the field in a five-back system against Arsenal.
Sunday’s match also represents an important checkpoint in Gotham’s preseason. Amorós said the club treated the tournament as a continuation of last season while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the 2026 NWSL campaign. The month-long stretch has allowed Gotham to integrate new players, test combinations and gain exposure to different international styles.
McCaskill, who recently rejoined the club, said the unique preseason environment has accelerated chemistry on and off the field.
“Getting to travel with the team and get to know each other away from everyday life has been really special,” she said. “Everyone’s shown up as themselves, and that’s created a really good environment.”
The midfielder added that playing at Arsenal Stadium remains a meaningful moment for the group, even with third place on the line.
“Getting to play here is every little kid’s dream,” McCaskill said. “But at the end of the day, we want to win and walk away from this month with a win.”
Following Sunday’s match, Gotham will break before resuming preseason preparations in mid-February, when the club will head to Miami to begin the next phase of training ahead of the 2026 NWSL regular season.
For Gotham, the third-place match offers a final opportunity to cap a demanding international run with a result, while continuing to establish itself among the top clubs on the global stage.
