Gotham FC wins first NWSL Shield after 12 straight weeks atop the table
The club defeated Utah 2-0 to secure the regular season crown, capping a campaign where they finished with the league's best defensive record.
By Alessia Diallo ·
NJ/NY Gotham FC has won its first NWSL Shield in club history. The team reached the top of the regular season standings for the 12th consecutive week before sealing the title with a 2-0 victory over the Utah Royals at home. The win was decisive in a final matchday that settled the entire playoff picture.
The victory marked the club's 14th clean sheet of the season, a league-leading defensive total. Midge Purce recorded two assists in the game. Her passes set up Jaedyn Shaw for her 11th goal of the year. That strike came during Shaw's 100th NWSL appearance. Rose Lavelle also returned to the lineup after a period on the injury list. The result improved Gotham's position from No. 2 in the previous week's rankings to No. 1.
Angel City FC enters the postseason on a 10-match unbeaten run. The squad became only the second team in NWSL history to achieve that streak into the playoffs. They defeated Boston 4-1 in the final round of games. The win tied them with Kansas City for the most goals scored this season, a total of 54. Rookie Taylor Suarez contributed to six goals in her last seven matches. Angel City has lost only two road games since May.
The San Diego Wave finished with a 1-0 win over Bay FC. Mimi Van Zanten scored the only goal in the ninth minute. The result ended their season with a club-record seven-game unbeaten run. They missed the chance to claim their second NWSL Shield by one spot.
Kansas City Current locked in the final home quarterfinal spot with a 2-0 win at Racing Louisville. The team has lost just one of its last 10 matches. It maintains a 32-match home unbeaten streak in the regular season. The Washington Spirit secured a home playoff berth for the third straight year after beating Chicago 2-0. Trinity Rodman scored the second goal. Washington lost Hal Hershfelt to a season-ending ACL injury during the week.
Seattle Reign qualified for the postseason for the ninth time. Jordyn Bugg scored the winning goal in the 68th minute against Orlando. The 1-0 victory drew a crowd of 16,095, the third largest in Reign history. North Carolina Courage and Denver Summit FC were eliminated from playoff contention after losing their final matches. The Utah Royals enter the playoffs without scoring in three straight games, a 305-minute goal drought.
Source: ESPN
