Gotham FC faced off against Washington Spirit in the Concacaf W Champions Cup in front of a sparse crowd at the neutral venue of Subaru Park, home to Philadelphia Union. The Tuesday night showdown was a cautious affair that ended in a 0-0 draw, with both teams keeping their superstars out of the starting lineups.
With that result, Gotham currently climb to the top of Group B, with 10 points after four games, and will advance to the knockout round — which will take place in May 2026, six months from now.
Concacaf W Champions Cup | Group Stage Table
The Bats don't know who their opponent will be until the final set of Group Stage games are played next week. Club América is a lock to finish at the top of Group A, but 2nd Place could be claimed by Orlando Pride or CF Pachuca Femenil. At the same time, Washington could climb into 1st Place in Group B with a win over CF Monterrey Femenil on Wednesday, which means that Gotham could face either team that advance from Group A.
A cautious game
A Gotham that had already advanced to the knockout round before the start of the game wasn't going to take any risks in this midweek matchup. Head Coach Juan Carlos Amorós began the game with most of his superstars on the bench, including Ann-Katrin Berger, Bruninha, Rose Lavelle, Jaedyn Shaw, Emily Sonnett, and Midge Purce. Instead, he fielded a Starting XI featuring rarely-used players such as midfielder Sofia Cook, defender Kayla Duran, forward Khyah Harper, and goalkeeper Shelby Hogan.
They were kept quiet during the first half, taking just four shots and placing only one of those on target. Things picked up when Bruninha, Lavelle, Shaw, Sonnett, and Purce came on late in the second half, but the game ended scoreless.
Amorós won't be upset by the result. At this point in the year, he seems more focused on ending the National Women's Soccer League season on a strong note. A six-game undefeated streak has lifted Gotham into 3rd Place on the table with four games left to play, and trailing Washington in 2nd Place by just six points.
The Bats return to NWSL play when they host Seattle Reign FC at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Sunday, October 5, at 4:00 pm.
As for Gotham's next opponent in the Concacaf W Champions Cup, we'll know who they are next week — and we'll see that game played next year.
