Match Day 1: Portland Thorns (0) - Gotham FC (1)
With a goal in the 72nd minute from Esther Gonzalez, Gotham opens its 2024 NWSL account with three points
It’s been 141 days since Gotham FC last visited the Portland Thorns — and while much has changed since then, some things haven’t, like the score line.
141 days ago, Gotham FC handed Portland a 1-0 loss in the semifinal rounds of the 2023 playoffs with a goal from Katie Stengel in extra time, leading the east coast team to its ultimate National Women’s Soccer League Championship win. This time, it was Esther, assisted by Yazmeen Ryan, who delivered the blow to the Thorns, the 2022 NWSL Champions, securing the first win of the season for Gotham.
“I am immensely proud of the performance of the team,” said Gotham Head Coach Juan Carlos Amorós after the match. “I think the way we battled and fought in this amazing environment is a credit to this group of players. Against all the adversity they were able to bring the best versions of themselves. It’s really a win that means a lot.”
A deep bench the key for success
Once again, Gotham’s deep bench was the key to success. The team has yet to see Rose Lavelle debut after the decorated midfielder returned to the club team with an injury following the Concacaf W Gold Cup with the U.S. women’s national team. Likewise, Lynn Williams has yet to play with the team in 2024, picking up an injury in tournament as well.
With six minutes remaining in the first half, Midge Purce left the match with what appears to be a knee injury, although the team has yet to provide an update on the specifics.
Amorós, who has been vocal about the timing of the W Gold Cup during preseason, selected Ryan to come in, who eventually ended up with the assist on the game’s lone goal.
“We’re paying the consequences of playing a tournament that should not have happened [when it did],” Amorós said, adding that Yazmeen Ryan was outstanding to come into the game during a difficult moment, facing a tough opponent and creating chances to score.
Gotham was also missing Maitane Lopez who picked up a thigh injury during the Challenge Cup match last week. Instead, Amorós started Sam Hiatt at center back, a player who joined Gotham from Seattle Reign during the offseason. It was Hiatt’s first minutes with Gotham, and paired with a familiar player in Tierna Davidson — the two played together collegiately at Stanford — the team once again showed how depth is their true superpower.
“It’s so great playing with [Tierna], she’s obviously a fantastic center back and a great person to pair with,” Hiatt said after the game. “Her experience and her voice is something that I love playing next to going all the way back to Stanford days. Definitely a sense of comfort there. I was glad to be able to get some minutes with her.”
How do you solve a problem like Sophia?
With a high defensive line and a goalkeeping masterclass.
Sophia Smith, who has been terrorizing back lines both for club and country, was surely the number one threat for Gotham on Sunday night. Davidson and company did a solid job at keeping Smith in an offside position, including having a 61st minute golazo chopped off due to Smith’s slight offside positioning.
Cassie Miller, who joined Gotham in the offseason from Kansas City, also put on a stellar goalkeeping performance that kept her team in the game until the very end. With this clean sheet, Miller posted her third shutout in as many career games at Portland across all competitions.
In addition to Miller’s heroics, veteran defender Kelley O’Hara contributed significantly to Gotham’s clean sheet, which included a goal line clearance during stoppage time of the first half.
“She is so outstanding, very confident, very composed, and knows exactly where to be and when to be there,” said Ryan about Miller’s goalkeeping. “She’s just unbelievable and had an amazing performance tonight.”
What’s next for Gotham?
With three points in their pocket, Gotham will travel to the North Carolina Courage on Saturday. March 30th at 7pm. The Courage have had an up-and-down start to their season, winning their season opener 5-1 at home against the Houston Dash and subsequently falling 2-1 to the Utah Royals the following week. Gotham will certainly have its work cut out for them with coach Sean Nahas’ high-possession group.
This is nice. Looking forward to your articles all season