The Brief

Gotham FC beat the Washington Spirit 1–0 before a sellout crowd at PayPal Park

Fans from across the Bay Area and beyond packed the stadium for the region’s first NWSL championship.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The National Women’s Soccer League championship came to the Bay Area for the first time Saturday night, drawing a sellout crowd of 18,000 fans to PayPal Park in San Jose as Gotham FC defeated the Washington Spirit 1–0 to claim the title.

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Despite Bay FC missing the postseason in their second year, supporters of the Bay Area franchise were out in full force.

At the game

“Amazing fun, what a great game,” said Heather Marquard of Monterey. “I see so many Bay FC fans filling the stands and I think we all know what a special opportunity this is. We just want to support the teams that are here, that came to enjoy our area and really put a show on for women’s soccer.”

The championship match arrives as women’s soccer continues to grow nationally, with the NWSL reporting increased revenue, record attendance and rising viewership.

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“Having the game here brings a lot of money into the area and a lot of interest into the area and I think just having Bay FC come to the Bay Area in the first place is great for the women’s sport and growing the sport in this area,” said Sarah Tatley of San Jose.

The match drew fans from across the Bay Area and beyond.

Fans from abroad

“Even though I know only a portion of the fans in this stadium are actually supporting Gotham or Washington. I’m sitting next to people from Kansas City and I’m sitting next to somebody from San Diego,” said Ernst Schneidereit of Sacramento.

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Some fans traveled from out of town to make a weekend of the event.

“There’s about 8 of us that came to see the game and we’re making a weekend of it, so we rented an Airbnb, we’re going to tour San Francisco, tour San Jose today, it was amazing, went down to the San Pedro Market and we’re really spending this time together as a family, as you know Thanksgiving is next week,” said Iris Ude, visiting from Los Angeles.

What’s next

The matchup also helped build momentum for future major sporting events coming to the Bay Area, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

While PayPal Park will not host World Cup matches, it will hold a Final Draw watch party on Dec. 5.

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The Source

Original reporting by Betty Yu of KTVU