NEW YORK — Gotham FC completed one of the most dramatic comebacks in National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) history on Saturday night, scoring three goals in the final 10 minutes plus stoppage time to overturn a two-goal deficit and defeat Seattle Reign FC 3-2 at Icahn Stadium.
Rose Lavelle scored the game-winning goal in the 98th minute, curling a sensational finish into the top-left corner to cap a remarkable comeback and secure three points for the Bats.
With the victory, Gotham became the first team in NWSL history to win a match across all competitions after trailing by multiple goals in the 80th minute or later.
“I’m honestly lost for words,” Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said. “Today we already had a big mountain to climb, but from the moment the players got here at 9 a.m., that mountain just kept getting higher.”
The match was delayed for several hours because of rain and lightning, adding to the challenge for a Gotham team coming off a midweek match and limited recovery time.
Seattle capitalized early after kickoff, taking the lead in the 14th minute when Mandy Freeman brought down Madison Mercado inside the box. Mia Fishel stepped up and calmly converted the penalty to give the Reign a 1-0 advantage.
The visitors doubled their lead before halftime through a well-executed counterattack. Maddie Dahlien received a long ball over the top and carried forward before cutting the ball back for Mercado, who finished clinically to make it 2-0.
The Bats entered the break searching for answers after a difficult opening 45 minutes, but Amorós made changes immediately with Esther González and Guro Reiten coming on at halftime, giving the Bats more attacking presence.
The adjustments nearly produced an immediate response. Lavelle found Reiten with a well-weighted pass, and the winger delivered a dangerous cross toward González, whose header was saved by Seattle goalkeeper Cassie Miller.
Seattle then had a chance to extend its advantage after being awarded a second penalty following a lengthy VAR review. Referee Calin Radosav went to the monitor after Emily Sonnett was ruled to have fouled Sally Menti inside the box, but Dahlien’s penalty attempt struck the post and kept Gotham within reach.
“That’s football,” Amorós said. “Sometimes a penalty goes against you, but it can end up going for you because it gives the team belief.”
Gotham continued pushing forward, and Amorós made another attacking adjustment in the 63rd minute, bringing on Sam Kerr and Bruninha.
Kerr immediately changed the game, forcing two big saves from Miller and helping create the momentum that eventually fueled Gotham’s comeback.
“She didn’t score today, but I think there was an element of her in all the goals because of the attention she attracted,” Amorós said. “She can hold the play, stretch back lines, she’s a constant threat in the box and she’s very clever with her movement.”
After sustained pressure, Gotham finally found a breakthrough in the 82nd minute.
Jaedyn Shaw delivered a superb cross to the back post, where González arrived to finish and cut Seattle’s lead to 2-1.
The Bats continued attacking, and the equalizer came in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Following a corner kick, Bruninha sent the ball into the box, and Shaw cleverly redirected it with her chest into the path of González, who fired home her second goal of the afternoon.
“Once Esther scored it, it opened the gate,” Amorós said. “When she got the second one, it felt like the whole pitch was moving toward their goal.”
Moments later, Gotham completed the comeback.
The Bats launched a counterattack in the 98th minute, with González finding Kerr in space. Kerr’s attempted pass deflected into the path of Lavelle, who calmly took a touch before curling a stunning strike into the top-left corner to seal the 3-2 victory.
For Midge Purce, the belief never disappeared despite the deficit.
“I don’t think there was a moment that I knew we had it because there was never a moment where I thought we’d lost it,” Purce said. “When we were down 2-0, I was like, ‘No, we can come back from this.’”
Denise O’Sullivan also made her Gotham FC debut after joining the club earlier this week, entering late in the second half as Gotham pushed for the winner.
“I was never worried at any stage in the game with this team’s mentality,” O’Sullivan said. “I knew going out for the second half that we were going to come back.”
Amorós credited the entire group for the resilience shown throughout the match, from the players on the field to those who entered off the bench.
“These players never gave up,” he said. “Everyone on the pitch kept fighting and pushing, and the people coming off the bench kept fighting and pushing. They want to be champions. They want to win. They want to attack.”
The comeback capped a historic night for Gotham, which overcame a two-goal deficit, two conceded penalties and a difficult opening half to claim one of the biggest wins of the season.
