Gotham FC Takes NWSL Shield With Final-Day Shutout
The New York side secures the top seed and home field advantage in the playoffs after a 2-0 victory over the Utah Royals.
By Nikolai Morales ·
Gotham FC secured the NWSL Shield on Sunday by defeating the Utah Royals 2-0. The victory was decided on Decision Day, when all 16 league teams played simultaneously. The win gives Gotham the best regular-season record in the league.
Gotham finished the regular season with an 18-5-7 record. The top seed grants the team home field advantage for the entire postseason. They will host the eighth-seeded Seattle Reign in the quarterfinals next Sunday.
Guro Reiten and Jaedyn Shaw provided the goals for Gotham. Ann-Katrin Berger kept a clean sheet with two saves, marking her 11th shutout of the season. Shaw said the team was happy to finally achieve the milestone.
San Diego Wave defender Mimi Van Zanten scored in the ninth minute to lead her team to a 1-0 road win over Bay FC. The result secures the second seed for the Wave, who finished with an 18-8-4 record. They will host the fifth-seeded Utah Royals on Friday.
The Washington Spirit claimed the third seed with a 2-0 win over the Chicago Stars. Trinity Rodman scored in the 85th minute, and an own goal by Michelle Alozie gave the Spirit a 1-0 lead in the 62nd minute. The Spirit will host the Portland Thorns in the quarterfinals.
Kansas City Current forward Kayla Sharples headed a corner kick in the 15th minute to open the scoring against Racing Louisville. Haley Hopkins added a similar goal in the 59th minute. The 2-0 victory gives the Current the fourth seed, and they will host Angel City on Saturday.
Ashley Sanchez of the North Carolina Courage won the league’s Golden Boot with 20 regular-season goals. Her total ties the single-season record set by Temwa Chawinga in 2024. Sanchez will miss the playoffs, as the Courage finished 14-13-3 after a 1-0 win over the Denver Summit.
Jordyn Bugg scored a 68th-minute goal to give the Seattle Reign a 1-0 win over the Orlando Pride. The result secures the final playoff spot for the Reign, who finish with a 14-11-5 record. The Orlando Pride drop to 11-16-3 after the loss.
