Gotham FC will look to close out its Concacaf W Champions Cup campaign on a positive note Saturday evening when it faces host club Pachuca Femenil in the tournament’s third-place match at Estadio Hidalgo. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
While the club fell short of its goal of reaching a second consecutive Concacaf W Champions Cup final, Gotham FC still has an opportunity to leave Mexico with a victory and a podium finish in one of the top women’s club competitions in the region.
The Bats enter the match after a difficult 4-1 semifinal defeat to Club América Femenil on Wednesday night. Former Gotham forward Geyse assisted three goals for América, while Scarlett Camberos scored a hat trick to send the Liga MX Femenil champions into the final.
Despite the scoreline, Gotham showed resilience throughout the match and briefly pulled level early in the second half through Esther González. The Spanish striker finished calmly in the 48th minute after being played through on goal by Jaedyn Shaw, continuing a strong recent run of form for both attackers.
The semifinal, however, was overshadowed by a frightening injury to goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger late in the first half. Berger collided with an América player inside the penalty area during stoppage time and required lengthy medical treatment before being stretchered off the field and transported to a local hospital.
On Friday, Juan Carlos Amorós provided a positive update on Berger’s condition, saying the veteran goalkeeper had been released from the hospital and rejoined the team.
“I’m very happy to say that Ann is back with us and back with the group,” Amorós said. “That’s the most important thing for the whole group and for the club — that Ann is okay.”
Amorós admitted the emotional situation surrounding Berger’s injury made Wednesday’s match especially difficult for the players to navigate.
“It looked like a very strong impact to the chest and ribs, and it was a very stressful situation for everyone,” Amorós said. “When you know one of your teammates is leaving on a stretcher at halftime with that kind of injury, everyone was really concerned.”
The Gotham coach praised his squad’s mentality after the incident, particularly the way the team responded in the second half despite the circumstances.
“The way they behaved, approached the second half and worked afterward showed incredible mentality and attitude from everyone,” Amorós said. “It was a really difficult moment for all of us, and I’m happy she’s finally back with the group.”
Saturday’s match presents Gotham with another difficult test against a Pachuca side that has been one of the strongest clubs in Liga MX Femenil this season. Pachuca narrowly missed out on a place in the final after suffering a 1-0 semifinal defeat to the Washington Spirit on Wednesday night.
The Mexican side controlled long stretches of the match before conceding the winner in the 81st minute through Washington teenager Claudia Martínez. Despite the loss, Pachuca created several dangerous attacking opportunities and once again demonstrated why it has been one of the top-performing clubs throughout the tournament.
As the host club for the finals, Pachuca is also expected to benefit from another energetic crowd at Estadio Hidalgo, where the altitude and atmosphere have proven challenging for visiting teams.
“Being the host team, we could already experience the fans the other day, and they are clearly the 12th player,” Amorós said. “Playing at altitude is still complicated for us.”
Amorós also pointed to several key Pachuca players who could influence Saturday’s match, including veteran defender and midfielder Andrea Pereira, attacking playmaker Aline Gomes and captain Charlyn Corral, one of the top scorers in Liga MX Femenil.
“Pachuca is a very well-organized team,” Amorós said. “Collectively they are very strong, and then they have players with international experience and great quality.”
Even with the disappointment of missing the final, Gotham FC continues to view Saturday’s match as an important opportunity to finish its continental campaign strongly before returning to NWSL regular-season play next weekend.
“For us, it’s a very important game,” Amorós said. “We wanted to be in the final, but this third-place game is still very important for us. We can still get a very big reward from winning the game, so we’re putting all the effort and concentration into it, and the team is ready.”
Following Saturday’s third-place match, Gotham FC will return to New Jersey and shift its focus back to league play with a home match against the Houston Dash on May 31 at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
