Copyright Athlon Sports
Gotham FC entered NWSL Decision Day with the possibility of hosting a quarterfinal playoff matchup as the fourth seed. When the final whistle blew at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, Gotham ended up in the eighth seed with a far more challenging task ahead of them. Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to the North Carolina Courage sets up Gotham to travel to CPKC Stadium to face a surging Kansas City Current side that finished the 2025 NWSL season with a record-setting 65 points and an undefeated record at home. Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amoros and his team are up for the challenge of shocking the Current on the road. “Kansas City is a great team, but I believe we are too,” Amoros said. “We’re going to go there, and I completely back my players and staff to achieve something that hasn’t been done in a very long time. We’re prepared for that moment now. We’re going to give absolutely everything we have, and I truly believe these players are ready to achieve what some might see as impossible.” Star midfielder Rose Lavelle understands that the playoffs are an entirely clean slate. It wasn’t long ago that Gotham rolled off an 11-match unbeaten streak in all competitions that ended on Oct. 11. That streak was ended by Kansas City at CPKC Stadium. “Playoffs are like a whole new season, so it doesn’t matter what anyone’s done up to this point – ourselves included,” she said. “You go into the playoffs with a fresh slate. Kansas City is a great team and has had an incredible season, so we have to start strong from the beginning. We know they’re very good in transition, so we’ll have to be switched on. We’ll use this week to prepare – it’s going to be a tough matchup.” Gotham Must Extinguish Decision Day Defensive Lapses Gotham won’t stand any chance of advancing to the semifinals if they repeat the defensive blunders that allowed the Courage to score twice within the first 16 minutes of Sunday’s contest. North Carolina asserted their dominance early by playing on the front foot. The Courage gained a strong territorial advantage and created plenty of scoring opportunities. In the 14th minute, forward Payton Linnehan threaded a precise ball to the far post, which midfielder Meredith Speck shepherded into the back of the net. Gotham couldn’t catch a breath after being constantly pushed by a persistent North Carolina attack. A giveaway by defender Jess Carter allowed Manaka Matsukubo to score an audacious chip over Berger to double the Courage’s advantage to 2-0 within 16 minutes. Gotham didn’t start out any better in the second half. Carter was charged with an own goal in the 51st minute. Though Lavelle tucked away a penalty in the 87th minute and Gabi Portilho struck late in the 95th minute, the Bats were far from their usual standard. Amoros Believes That Gotham Can ‘Beat The Best’ Despite a concerning defeat to finish the regular season, Amoros believes in the potential of his squad. It’s going to take a truly special performance to pull off what many consider an upset in Kansas City. “As for heading to Kansas, we know that to win this competition, we’ll have to beat the best,” Amoros stated. “We’re ready for that when we’re at our best. Kansas is the favorite right now based on what they’ve done this year – they deserve that – but we’ll need to be the best version of ourselves to win there, and I definitely believe we can.” Is the impossible possible? We’ll soon find out. Gotham must cut out the mistakes that plagued them in North Carolina, rekindle their cohesion in attack, and channel the mental strength needed to handle the pressure of a difficult road atmosphere in Kansas City. Dates and times for the NWSL Playoffs are yet to be announced.
