ORLANDO — Gotham FC strengthened its bid for the first NWSL Shield in club history with a 2-1 road victory over the Orlando Pride on Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium.
Midge Purce opened the scoring in the first half, and Tierna Davidson doubled Gotham’s lead after the break. Solai Washington pulled one back for Orlando, but Gotham held on to remain atop the NWSL standings with one regular season match remaining.
Gotham could clinch the Shield tonight if San Diego Wave FC loses to Boston Legacy FC and the Washington Spirit loses or draws against the Kansas City Current.
The victory marked Gotham’s final road match of the regular season and ended a two-match winless streak. The Bats entered the contest looking to rebound from a 1-0 loss to the Washington Spirit and keep their Shield hopes firmly in their hands.
Orlando threatened early when Marta dispossessed Jess Carter and drove down the left flank before crossing to Washington, whose shot went wide.
Gotham nearly took the lead in the 14th minute when Davidson sent a shot just over the crossbar.
Orlando responded with a dangerous opportunity of its own as Marta played a long ball to Kerry Abello, who rounded Ann-Katrin Berger but could not find the open net after Mandy Freeman disrupted her attempt.
The Bats made Orlando pay for its missed chances in the 22nd minute.
Guro Reiten delivered a cross toward the back post, where Purce met the ball with a well-placed header and directed it into the net to give Gotham a 1-0 lead. The goal was Purce’s fourth of the season, while Reiten recorded her sixth assist of the campaign.
Gotham nearly doubled its advantage in the 35th minute. Reiten sent another cross into the box for Sam Kerr, whose header was saved by Orlando goalkeeper Corsette Morché. The rebound fell to Tess Boade, but her follow-up attempt was blocked off the line.
Gotham continued to search for a second goal after halftime. In the 61st minute, Kerr crossed the ball toward Reiten, whose header was saved by Morché.
Davidson eventually doubled Gotham’s lead following a corner kick from Reiten. The delivery found Jaelin Howell, whose header struck the crossbar before falling to Davidson, who finished to make it 2-0. The goal was Davidson’s third of the season.
Orlando responded through Washington to cut the deficit to 2-1, setting up a tense finish. Gotham held off the Pride for the remainder of the match to secure all three points on the road.
After the victory, lead assistant coach Shaun Harris said the team’s immediate priority was to recover and prepare for its final match of the regular season.
“First and foremost is, get home, rest and recover and make sure we’re in good physical condition to be able to train and go again. That’s the priority,” Harris said. “We put ourselves in a good position to be able to be in control, so it’s less about what else is going on in the day. If we do what we need to do, then the job will be done.”
Harris also welcomed the opportunity for Gotham to potentially clinch the Shield in front of its home fans.
“We’re excited. We’re a team with big ambitions, and we know what we want to achieve. We set out at the start for certain targets and we’re on track to do that. It’s about just sticking together and finishing it off,” Harris said. “Obviously really great to get home and do it in front of the fans. It’s a big, big opportunity and we’re ready for the occasion.”
Gotham will close out the regular season against the Utah Royals on Decision Day Sunday, Nov. 1, at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET. If the Shield is not clinched Sunday, Gotham can secure the title with a win over Utah.
