Gotham FC returns to action Wednesday night for one of the biggest matches in club history, hosting the Washington Spirit in The Queens Classic at Citi Field. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.
The match is expected to become the largest women’s sporting event in New York City history and marks Gotham’s first NWSL regular-season match played within New York City. It also serves as a rematch of the 2025 NWSL Championship, when Rose Lavelle’s 80th-minute goal lifted Gotham to its second league title in three seasons.
Gotham (7-3-3, 24 points) enters the marquee matchup riding plenty of momentum after a 3-1 victory over the Utah Royals on Friday. Esther González scored twice and Tierna Davidson added her second goal of the season as Gotham earned its 100th regular season win and climbed into fourth place in the standings. The Bats have won six of their last eight league matches and sit just three points behind the Spirit.
Washington (8-2-3, 27 points) arrives in Queens as one of the league’s hottest teams, winning three consecutive matches and eight of its last nine. The Spirit defeated the North Carolina Courage 2-0 on Saturday behind goals from Leicy Santos and Trinity Rodman, while goalkeeper Sandy MacIver recorded her seventh clean sheet of the season.
Despite the magnitude of the occasion, Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said his team’s focus remains on the match itself.
“We’re super excited to have the opportunity to play at Citi Field in New York City in front of so many fans,” Amorós said. “It’s a day that’s definitely writing history for women’s soccer and women’s sport in New York City and in the United States. It’s an amazing opportunity, but at the same time for us it’s about playing the game and not the occasion. We’re facing a fantastic team in Washington and that’s been our focus.”
While the atmosphere will be unlike anything the club has experienced in a regular-season match, Amorós said Gotham will stick to the identity that has fueled its recent success.
“We always have a clear identity. We have our style of play, playing a structured fluidity that has some very clear principles,” Amorós said. “We try to play that style of football that really makes the fans have fun. We’re trying to make sure everyone that comes to Citi Field falls in love with the team.”
Defender Mandy Freeman, the longest-tenured player on Gotham’s roster, said the near-capacity crowd is another sign of how far the club and the women’s game have come.
“We’ve seen the ticket sales, and we’re almost sold out. That just shows that there’s a market for women’s sports and women’s soccer, specifically in New York,” Freeman said. “Playing against the Spirit always gets a little rowdy. We’re two competitive teams that play very similarly with a really good offense and a really strong defense, so it’s always a good game whenever we get to play against each other.”
Freeman expects the rivalry to match the energy inside Citi Field.
“The Spirit and Gotham have turned into an East Coast rivalry, so there’s always that added pressure whenever we play them,” Freeman said. “We want to win in front of our home fans, and we really want to use the audience as a 12th man on the field.”
After spending a decade with the organization through its transition from Sky Blue FC to Gotham FC, Freeman said Wednesday’s match is a moment she never imagined when she began her professional career.
“Playing at Yurcak Field versus now playing at Citi Field, it’s just amazing to be able to witness the rise from Sky Blue to Gotham and be a part of that journey,” Freeman said. “We really want to showcase and play well for our fans because they really believe in us. It’s been amazing to experience the rise in attendance and the atmosphere.”
While Wednesday’s match features two of the NWSL’s top teams battling for valuable points in the standings, it also represents a milestone for the club and the league. In front of what is expected to be a record-setting crowd, Gotham will look to continue its recent run of form and add another memorable chapter to one of the NWSL’s premier rivalries.
