In May, a viral tweet by @SavageSports_ on X claimed that “New York hasn’t won a major sports championship since 2011.”
Over nineteen million views later, at the time of this article, the post has made an impression—only, it wasn’t true. What @SavageSports_ forgot was that, actually, New York had just won two consecutive championships in: Gotham FC in 2023 for the NWSL and the New York Liberty in 2024 for the WNBA.
This year, the Liberty made the playoffs once again, and Gotham is right back in it too, pushing to clinch a postseason spot as the NWSL regular season winds down. Currently third in the league’s standings and a serious contender season after season, this team has proven that they deserve to be in the NJ/NY sports conversation.
Ahead of last Friday’s 3-0 home win over the Portland Thorns, defender Kayla Duran discussed the support she receives from Gotham’s front office and the team’s fans.
“The group and the fans that you have within, you know, the East Coast, especially in New York and New Jersey around women's sports, is really amazing,” Duran said. “I think it's awesome as well that our owners to our GM to our coaches are really embracing and spreading not only women's pro soccer, but women’s soccer and girls soccer in general, which is really powerful.”
“The talent that we have on our team is quite amazing, and we really have the capability of chasing another NWSL title,” Duran added.
That talent and capability to win is what led midfielder Josefine Hasbo to sign with Gotham in the offseason.
“Part of my decision to join Gotham was that it’s wonderful to be part of an environment that’s inspiring,” Hasbo said.”We wanted the championship in 2023, but that’s not enough for Gotham, right? Gotham must keep building.”
“So I think, like, keep staying competitive and ultimately enjoying the success, but we’re not settling there.
Friday’s game versus the 2022 NWSL champions was a culmination of Gotham’s efforts on and off the field, resulting in a mostly one-sided affair at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Going into the game, Portland sat just behind Gotham in fourth place, making it a crucial matchup before the playoffs start next month
“It's good to get a win when we really need it, and find it at the end of the year. So I'm really proud of the team,” said forward Midge Purce postgame. “We've always been kind of a second half of the year team, and I think we're starting with that now.”
Purce recorded the first of Gotham’s three goals in the game with a header in the 10th minute. As the home club continued to mount pressure on the visitors, midfielder Rose Lavelle found the back of the net for the second straight week. She was assisted by fellow midfielder Jaedyn Shaw, her first for Gotham in her home debut.
Portland gave Gotham some competition at the hour mark before the latter’s offense came roaring back. They decisively ended any chance of a Portland comeback with forward Katie Stengel’s goal in the 73rd minute. The team almost made the final score 4-0 with a last attempt by Purce off the post, decisively finishing off the night.
Lavelle, who recorded a goal and an assist in the same game for the first time in her career, returned to the field this past June after being out for six months with an ankle injury. Having played all over the world as a USWNT player and two-time Olympic medalist (gold and bronze), Lavelle said playing for NY/NJ in particular has contributed to her development as a player.
“I think it's been so fun being in New York, New Jersey,” Lavelle said. “I have so many great players around me that it's been really fun, not just playing in the games, but you think of the level that you get to compete against every single day. So I think that pushes us all to be at our best.”
In terms of memorable moments, this game will remain in the history books for Gotham: the club recorded its 10th shutout of the regular season, setting a club single-season record. Plus, Gotham was unbeaten in its last nine matches across all competitions.
This recipe for success was described by Duran, who highlighted the team’s intentional roster-building.
“I think one thing that you will notice is that our starting lineup is never exactly the same, and it just goes to show the depth that we have on our team,” Duran said. “We also have some younger players, but we also have a lot of seasoned veterans not only with national team experience, but they're also just really intelligent soccer players that know how to really handle this stretch of the period where it matters most.”
Needless to say, with this recent success and Gotham FC’s history, the team should have a seat at the table when it comes to the New York championship team discussion, said best by Shaw.
“For me, it’s just coming in and learning from amazing players like Esther [González], Rose, everyone,” she said. “Just working as hard as I can with the team and continuing that legacy.”
Jacqueline Litowinsky is a copy editor and X sports editor for The Setonian. She can be reached at jacqueline.litowinsky@student.shu.edu.
