Gotham FC triumphed over the Portland Thorns in a dominant 3-0 win at home on Friday night. The Bats are now undefeated in their last nine matches across all competitions, holding onto 3rd Place in the NWSL rankings.
Gotham forward Midge Purce scored her first goal for the Bats in nearly two years, while Gotham midfielder Rose Lavelle earned her first goal and assist in the same game — a first for her in her career. Katie Stengel secured Gotham's lead with a third goal in the second half, her first NWSL goal of the season and her first for Gotham since returning to the club.
"I'm extremely happy and proud of the players and the staff because they've worked so hard all year against a lot of different difficulties we've been facing," Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said. "They've stayed focused on the job, making sure they need to be better, working with us, the coaches, to solve certain situations, and helping in the adaptation of new teammates."
It was a much-needed win for Gotham after tying 1-1 with Bay FC last week, eyes still on a coveted league playoff spot with just four NWSL games to go.
Gotham FC: 1.92 xG, 15 shots, 7 shots on target, 51% possession, 446 passes, 83% pass accuracy, 12 fouls, 5 corners, 2 saves
Portland Thorns: 0.19 xG, 4 shots, 2 shots on target, 49% possession, 428 passes, 81% pass accuracy, 11 fouls, 5 corners, 4 saves
Goals:
• Gotham FC, Midge Purce, 10'
• Gotham FC, Rose Lavelle, 43'
• Gotham FC, Katie Stengel, 73'
Attendance: 8,522
Midge's first goal in nearly two years
Midge Purce officially came full circle last night in Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Over a year after suffering a torn ACL while playing against the Portland Thorns at the beginning of the 2024 season, the 30-year-old Gotham forward notched her first club goal after nearly two years.
"It's just great to finally get a goal," said Purce. "I'm sometimes expected to assist, and I wanted those, too, today. But I love this game, and it's good when it loves you back."
At the 10-minute mark, Gotham captain Mandy Freeman sent a cross towards Purce, who nailed a header between two Portland defenders to open the scoring for the match. This was Purce's 17th career goal for the Bats, making her third overall in the club's scoring record books.
Midge Purce scores on a set piece | Courtesy NWSL
It's been a long time coming for Purce, who has shown up match after match since returning from injury with a point to prove and the determination to back it up.
"It’s a joy watching her," Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger said. "But it’s also credit to the team because we have to find her first and create space for her to go one-v-one. We’ve learned that over the past few months, and now she can shine even more. She deserves it."
Oliver Strand
Rose Lavelle masterclass
The Bats had more to celebrate with Lavelle scoring the club's second goal of the night just before halftime. Lavelle's goal and, later, her assist on Stengel's goal, mark the first time in her career that she's scored and assisted in the same game.
"She's a player you can work with on certain things, but her talent and skill are
natural," said Amorós. "We just try to help her flourish and express herself. I'm very happy for her. It's been a difficult year with injuries. When she couldn’t help on the pitch, she helped so much off of it in a leadership role."
Lavelle, alongside Jaedyn Shaw and Josefine Hasbo, pushed against Portland's midfield with a three-pass slice and dice as the first half drew to a close. Quick feet from Hasbo sent the ball just out of reach as Portland's Jessie Fleming closed in, with Shaw rolling the ball towards Lavelle as she pushed past the last of the Thorns' defense.
Rose Lavelle scores for Gotham | Courtesy NWSL
Portland defender Isabella Obaze made a valiant effort to steal the ball, but she was no match against a determined Lavelle. The 30-year-old sent a low ball past Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold for her third goal of the season, her fifth goal contribution for Gotham in the club's last five NWSL games.
"Collectively as a team, it felt really good on both ends of the ball, which I
think wasn't the case the past two games," Lavelle said. "So to be able to come out and put on that performance at home was really cool and special and gives us a lot of confidence and momentum."
Mark Radigan
Gotham seal the deal
Despite both teams holding near even possession, Gotham remained in control nearly the entire game, dominating in both shots taken and shots on target. AKB secured her ninth regular-season clean sheet of the season, a new club record. The German is now the 13th goalkeeper in league history to reach 25 wins for one club.
"After the last game, we weren’t really happy, so we had to get the momentum back," Berger said. "In the second half of the season, we started better, and today we showed that should be our standard. We know we’re good and can dominate more games."
Since suffering a painful 4-1 loss to the Thorns at the beginning of the season, the Bats have rebuilt and restructured their tactics on the field. Several Gotham players like Hasbo and AKB have been at their best since returning from the Euros this past summer, their flawless forms while playing for their country transferring over to club play.
Katie Stengel makes it three for Gotham | Courtesy NWSL
Amorós does well in recognizing his players' strengths and weaknesses, constantly realigning his starting 11 to reflect his athletes' improvements while encouraging his rookies to break through in bigger matches.
It's a strategy that, despite seemingly being risky in light of the looming end of the season, has brought Gotham back from ninth place to third, just three points shy of the Washington Spirit.
"Sometimes in America and sports in general, you always speak about peaking at the end of the season," Amorós said. "Which is important, but I think it's also when things come together. I'm a big believer that good work ends up paying off."
