On a chilly Saturday afternoon at Maimonides Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn FC beat Spokane Zephyr FC 1-0 for their third win of the season.
Brooklyn stepped onto the pitch for their final home match of the 2025 fall season, looking to climb out of 8th Place in the Gainbridge Super League table. Neither team came into this game displaying strong form: Brooklyn had just one win in their previous five matches, taking five points out of a possible 15, while Spokane had just four points over the same stretch. But it was Brooklyn who ended the night with the victory, climbing to 6th Place on the table.
Brooklyn's high press rattles Spokane
Both teams came prepared with clearly defined structures. Brooklyn lined up in a 4-2-3-1 under head coach Tomás Tengarrinha, who had his side playing a high press. Brooklyn striker Rebecca Cooke rushed Spokane goalkeeper Hope Hisey on every buildup, while wingers Jessica Garziano and Catherine Zimmerman forced the play into the middle. Brooklyn's double pivot of Jennifer Cudjoe and Hope Breslin stepped forward to disrupt Spokane’s attempts to settle the ball and put together a cohesive string of possession.
Brooklyn’s pressure forced a throw-in inside Spokane’s half, creating the first attacking moment when Cooke drove into the box early before being stopped by the defense.
But Spokane attempted to break through Brooklyn’s pressure. Defensive midfielder Sophia Braun dropped deep to help wingbacks Sarah McCoy and Reese Tappan circulate the ball, while Emma Jaskaniec took charge of Spokane’s rhythm in midfield. Striker Lena Silano registered Spokane’s first shot in the opening minute, but Brooklyn goalkeeper Breanna Norris handled it confidently in her first match back from injury. Spokane wingers Ginger Fontenot and Cam Tucker tried to stretch Brooklyn defensively with wide runs, while Spokane attempted to create diagonal switches into space.
The match quickly became a battle of defensive discipline. Brooklyn maintained strong organization with center-backs Nayeong Shin and Kelsey Hill aggressively stepping into passing lanes, and while right-back Jordan Thompson stayed tight on Tucker. Even when Spokane broke through, Brooklyn recovered well.
Andrew Leigh
Cudjoe’s long ball over the top nearly set up Cooke for a header, and Garziano caused problems with early free kicks into the Spokane penalty area — although Hisey collected most deliveries cleanly.
Spokane continued to probe for space and created one of the first half’s most dangerous sequences when Silano slipped a ball to Fontenot, who finished her chance. But the assistant referee immediately flagged her offside, and the goal was called back. Brooklyn responded with direct transitions, using Cooke’s pace and Zimmerman’s wide positioning to force Spokane backwards. Samantha Kroeger’s service from set pieces kept Spokane under pressure, though the away side handled the aerial battles well.
Spokane’s 58% possession in the first half reflected their central control, but Brooklyn created more attacking volume with six shots. Brooklyn also received two yellow cards in the opening period. The half concluded scoreless, with both teams evenly matched in execution and defensive stubbornness.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Brooklyn find a way to break through
The second half opened with Spokane pushing harder. Tucker delivered a powerful strike that cannoned off the crossbar. Spokane midfielder Aryssa Mahrt soon followed with another attempt over the net. Spokane advanced both fullbacks higher, positioning Jaskaniec and Mahrt at the top of Brooklyn’s box in search of decisive moments. Brooklyn, however, remained composed. Hill and Shin denied Seattle clean chances, and Norris continued to intervene decisively in goal.
Brooklyn made the first substitution of the game when Sofia Lewis replaced Garziano in the 61st minute. The shift immediately changed the tone of the match as Lewis offered direct movement, acceleration, and new angles of attack. Then Cudjoe was replaced in the midfield by Mylena Freitas, who brought defensive bite and energy in a critical stretch.
Cooke kept crashing into space, nearly scoring on a linkup with Zimmerman, but Spokane’s defense denied her final touch. Spokane then pushed forward again, with attempts from Mahrt and renewed wide play from Fontenot. But Brooklyn’s block closed down space, and when Thompson and Kroeger won important one-on-one duels, allowing Brooklyn to transition quickly.
The breakthrough came in the 75th minute. After renewed pressure inside Spokane’s half, Kroeger gathered possession on the left and delivered a pass to Lewis, who found space and unleashed a rising shot into the top left corner — the stadium erupted when the ball hit the back of the net. The goal was a perfectly-placed finish and her second of the season.
Sofia Lewis scores from Brooklyn FC | Courtesy Gainbridge Super League
Spokane, now trailing, pushed numbers forward. They introduced fresh legs with Shea Collins, Felicia Knox, and Kelsey Oyler. Brooklyn responded by compacting the midfield, closing central gaps, and limiting Spokane to wide crosses and speculative balls into the area. Hill and Shin cleared consistently, Breslin and Freitas shielded the back line, and Norris claimed contested balls with confidence.
The closing minutes were tense. Cooke took an awkward fall while defending, but returned to the pitch after treatment. Brooklyn made their final substitutions in stoppage time as Ana Marković came in for Zimmerman to help see out the match. Spokane created two final half-chances but could not connect meaningfully. Brooklyn’s defensive structure held firm until the whistle.
On the road again
Brooklyn's much-needed 1-0 victory give them 14 points after 13 games, catapulting them to 6th Place from 8th Place in the nine-team table. Brooklyn now sit just two points behind Carolina Ascent in 4th Place on the table.
Brooklyn now prepares for a crucial road match on Saturday, December 6 at 2:00 pm ET when they travel to American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte to face Carolina Ascent. Brooklyn have yet to win on the road, but if they manage the feat in two weeks, they could climb the table again and lift themselves into playoff contention halfway through the 28-game season.
