SAN JOSE – NJ/NY Gotham FC may have been the lowest seed in the NWSL playoffs—but they decisively proved they weren’t the underdogs in a huge 1-0 Championship win at PayPal park on Saturday.
USWNT star and match MVP Rose Lavelle scored the game’s only goal, an excellent shot straight into the corner of the net off a cross from Brazilian defender Bruninha. The game was tense and dynamic, with a few big chances for both teams.
There was a huge crowd at PayPal Park, with thousands of fans out on a chilly November night to watch the two teams face off. The match was a sell-out, an achievement for a relatively new Bay Area NWSL market hosting their first final.
Gotham celebrates their big win
Midge Purce came into the mixed zone smoking a cigar, the same way she celebrated her last championship with Gotham in 2023.
Purce said the team’s mentality wasn’t “super hyped up,” but rather “locked in,” a confidence that allowed them to go on their dream playoff run. The club faced a difficult set of playoff fixtures with matchups against Kansas City Current, Orlando Pride, and Washington Spirit, but persevered anyways.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 22: Midge Purce #23 of NJ/NY Gotham FC wears goggles after winning the Championship following the NWSL Championship 2025 final between Washington Spirit and NJ/NY Gotham FC at PayPal Park on November 22, 2025 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Eakin Howard/NWSL via Getty Images) NWSL via Getty Images
Manager Juan Carlos Amorós now has two NWSL titles in his three years with the club.
“I think I’m just a guy from a neighborhood in Madrid that looks okay. I put a lot of effort in life, and suddenly I’m here winning my second championship,” said Amorós. “I could not have done it without this amazing group of players I manage, the club, and obviously this unbelievable, behind the scenes, technical team that really, really has given everything they had.”
Nov 22, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Gotham FC head coach Juan Carlos Amoros speaks to media after defeating the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL Championship at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Overall, Gotham had ups and downs on their journey to the Championship title. They secured only the eighth playoff seed, and went through months at a time where the club wasn’t playing to their full potential. They also had to juggle a difficult schedule with midweek games due the CONCACAF W Champions Cup, which they also won the first iteration of earlier in the season.
“This was such a roller coaster of a season for us,” said Lavelle. “We had injuries. We had a really daunting schedule with the amount of games that we were playing, the travel. The way that every single individual stepped up in the moments that they were asked to was so huge. I always say, you learn the most about yourself in the toughest moments.”
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 22: Rose Lavelle #16 of NJ/NY Gotham FC celebrates after scoring the team’s first goal during the NWSL Championship 2025 final between Washington Spirit and NJ/NY Gotham FC at PayPal Park on November 22, 2025 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Elsa/NWSL via Getty Images) NWSL via Getty Images
Gotham will participate in a fan procession and Key to the City celebration in Manhattan on Monday, Mayor Eric Adams announced. The event is particularly notable as there was no public celebration with fans after the club’s 2023 win.
The first fifteen minutes of the match started out with a lot of attacking momentum by Gotham, including an Esther goal that was quickly called offsides in the fifth minute.
“It was clear that they didn’t really have an answer for [Gotham’s press],” said Gotham defender Emily Sonnet. “They took a lot of time trying to process where they should be playing the ball.”
The game continued to be nervy, with chances on both sides.
Gotham defender and Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale received a yellow card in first half stoppage time from a tackle on Rosemonde Kouassi.
“Sometimes it’s tough to pick up an early yellow and then make yourself a little bit easier of a target going into the second half, but really proud of Bru[ninha] and the way that she really finished the job,” said Reale.
Nov 22, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Gotham FC defender Lilly Reale (4) celebrates with defender Jess Carter (27) after defeating the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL Championship at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The match was still tied 0-0 at halftime, with 0.06 xG for the Spirit and 0.15 xG for Gotham.
In the 57th minute, Spirit superstar Trinity Rodman came in, a change that had the potential to change the game even with the “Triple Espresso” member not at full health.
Gotham made their first substitution in the 62nd minute, switching out Lilly Reale for Bruninha.
Midfielder Hal Hershfelt went down with an injury in the 73rd minute, although she wasn’t substituted off.
“She wanted to be with the team,” said coach Adrián González on the decision not to substitute Hershfelt out until after the goal. “Obviously, now we can say that maybe the sub was late, but she was trying to push.”
The stalemate was broken in the 80th minute with a goal for Rose Lavelle off a cross on the left side from Bruninha.
“I think Bruna did the heavy lifting on that,” said Lavelle, who won MVP. “It was a great ball across the box and luckily I was able to get there to finish.”
Chatter about a possible Gotham/Spirit rivalry has been growing the past few years. Is it real? The two cities are less than 300 miles apart, and the Spirit knocked Gotham out in a dramatic penalty shootout in the 2024 semi-finals. This year in the regular season, Gotham beat Spirit in DC in a rainy 3-0 win, then the two teams tied in New Jersey and again in Philadelphia during the W Champions Cup.
As the 44th matchup between the two teams, it’s now the most-played fixture in NWSL history surpassing Portland vs. Seattle.
The history between the two teams made this an extra special Championship with added weight for both clubs and their fans—and Gotham’s win will now add more fuel to the fire for future matchups.