ORLANDO — Gotham FC continued its historic postseason surge with a 1–0 victory over the Orlando Pride in Sunday’s NWSL semifinal, advancing to the 2025 NWSL Championship on the back of Jaedyn Shaw’s stoppage-time heroics and a defensive stand that defined the club’s season.
The win sent Gotham to its second championship appearance in three years, both secured as the lowest seed in the playoffs. After reaching the 2023 final as the No. 6 seed, Gotham has now become the first No. 8 seed, and the lowest seed ever, to reach the league’s title match. The result also extended the club’s league record with a fourth road playoff win, cementing its identity as the postseason’s most dangerous visitor.
“It was a very special day for the club, for the players, for the staff, for the fans who are the reason why we do this job,” Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós said. “It’s been an incredible, demanding season for us, playing more than everyone, traveling more than everyone, going through a lot of things that were costing us a little bit of consistency, and that never-give-up mentality kept going until the end, until the final whistle, with that Gotham DNA.”
Sunday’s semifinal unfolded with the relentless tension expected in a season-defining matchup. Orlando, the defending champion, entered on a six-game unbeaten streak and controlled the early energy inside Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride nearly broke through midway through the first half, flashing a teasing ball across the six-yard box that skidded past outstretched legs at the back post. Gotham’s back line, anchored by Emily Sonnett, who extended her league records with a 16th playoff appearance, 16th playoff start and 1,589th postseason minute, absorbed the pressure and gradually steadied the game.
Gotham held 54 percent of possession in a cagey first half but struggled to carve out attempts on goal. Two shots from Rose Lavelle were blocked, and efforts from Esther González and Jaelin Howell drifted off target. Without fluid attacking sequences, Gotham relied on organization and physical commitment, which proved effective against Orlando’s efforts to break lines through Marta and the flanks.
The second half mirrored the first, with both sides probing for an opening but wary of overcommitting. The semifinal evolved into the kind of match in which one moment, or one mistake, would determine the outcome. As the clock pushed deep into stoppage time and extra time loomed, Gotham found that moment.
In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Lavelle was fouled 22 yards from goal. The opportunity set the stage for Shaw, who had already been at the center of Gotham’s postseason scoring. Her curling free kick bent toward the far post, skipping past a crowded penalty area and into the side netting for the breakthrough at 96:06, the latest regulation game-winner in a semifinal in league history. The goal marked her second of the playoffs to go with one assist, meaning she has been involved in all three Gotham playoff goals this postseason. She now shares the club record for combined playoff goals and assists with three.
“I’m grateful that everybody trusts me to step up in those moments,” said Shaw, already the youngest player in league history with multiple postseason goal contributions. “Ultimately it starts on the training field. I feel the staff has really helped me improve my free kicks and all set pieces, so credit to them for helping me literally every day at training. I’m really happy that I can help the team win in that way.”
Defender Mandy Freeman echoed that sentiment, highlighting Gotham’s resilience throughout the season.
“This team is no stranger to adversity, and we are really good at rising to the occasion. The more people doubt us, the more motivation we have to prove them wrong,” Freeman said. “No matter what seed we are, we go into every game knowing that with the talent we have, we should be winning. There is never doubt in the group about whether we are going to win, it is just about how we are going to get it done. Sometimes it is not going to look pretty, but after a long season with a lot of adversity, we are really good at facing those battles.”
The final minutes demanded just as much composure as the goal itself. Orlando nearly equalized immediately when a close-range header looked destined for the top left corner, but goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger reacted with a full-extension stop, pushing the ball over the bar to preserve the lead. That moment alone showed why she is the reigning Goalkeeper of the Year and why she is nominated for it again. That save was one of several critical interventions from Berger, who delivered a performance that held the Pride scoreless and secured Gotham’s 12th clean sheet of the season, trailing only Kansas City’s 16.
Gotham’s defensive effort extended beyond the back line. The club improved to (9-1-4) this season when scoring first and remained unbeaten on the road in such scenarios at (7-0-3), showcasing its ability to protect narrow leads in high-pressure situations.
The victory carried additional historical weight for head coach Juan Carlos Amorós, who earned his sixth career playoff win, setting a new NWSL record for managerial postseason victories. Under his guidance, the Bats have forged a playoff identity built on structure, opportunism and late-game resilience, traits on full display Sunday night.
With the win, Gotham advances to Saturday’s NWSL Championship at PayPal Park in San Jose, where it will meet the Washington Spirit. The final brings together two teams arriving by different paths, Washington, steady and productive throughout the regular season, and Gotham, the postseason outlier whose run has been fueled by resilience, late-game execution and a record-setting surge away from home.
After navigating a grueling schedule, extensive travel demands and narrow margins throughout the year, Gotham once again found a way when the stakes were highest. The playoff run continues and so does one of the most improbable and compelling postseason stories in NWSL history.
