Midge Purce scored her first NWSL goal in almost two years, Rose Lavelle logged a goal and an assist in the same game for the first time in her career and Ann-Katrin Berger notched her club-record ninth shutout as Gotham FC cruised past the Portland Thorns, 3-0, in a lively one-sided affair Friday night at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Gotham FC 3 Portland Thorns 0
Report by GothamFC.com
To put the exclamation point on a celebratory evening that saw Gotham FC set the pace in the race for third place in the NWSL, Katie Stengel added an insurance goal in the second half – her first for the club since she rejoined the team and her first NWSL score since Nov. 5, 2023.
Gotham FC (9-6-7, 34 points) is now unbeaten in its last nine matches across all competitions and 6-1-4 in its last 11 NWSL games. That form has pushed the team from ninth place in early August to three points back of rival Washington for second.
“I’m a big believer that good work ends up paying off,” said Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós. “Lately, the work we’ve been doing has been very consistent. We’ve had a lot of players out, injuries, certain difficult moments, traveling more than any team and playing more games than any team. … The environment of the players is amazing. They’re seeing the work paying off.”
Bright Start For Purce
Friday’s match started with one-way traffic and rarely changed from there. Purce’s header in the 10th minute broke the seal, with the forward nodding in Mandy Freeman’s cross after a smart front post run in between two defenders. It was Purce’s 17th career goal for Gotham, moving her into third place in the club’s record books.
As the first half drew to a close, Lavelle, Jaedyn Shaw and Josefine Hasbo combined for a three-pass slice and dice through the middle of Portland’s shape, with Shaw rolling in Lavelle, who ripped a low shot underneath Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold for her fifth goal contribution in the last five NWSL games.
For its final act, Gotham FC scored in grand fashion. In the 73rd minute, Stengel charged down the left flank, dribbling 30 yards before passing to Lavelle’s feet. The midfielder back-heeled a pass to the sprinting Stengel, who scored from a narrow angle.
Gotham FC Line Up
Gotham FC (4-3-3): 30 – Ann-Katrin Berger (GK); 3 – Bruninha (62’ 4 – Lilly Reale), 27 – Jess Carter, 6 – Emily Sonnett, 22 – Mandy Freeman (79’ 19 – Kayla Duran); 5 – Josefine Hasbo, 7 – Jaelin Howell, 16 – Rose Lavelle (79’ 11 – Sarah Schupansky) (C); 23 – Midge Purce, 9 – Esther González (46’ 28 – Katie Stengel), 2 – Jaedyn Shaw (79’ 18 – Gabi Portilho)
Unused substitutes: 1 – Shelby Hogan (GK); 17 – Mak Whitham, 21 — Sofia Cook, 34 – Khyah Harper
Head coach: Juan Carlos Amorós
Portland Thorns FC (5-2-3): 18 – Mackenzie Arnold (GK); 29 – Mallie McKenzie, 5 – Isabella Obaze (46’ 66 – Reilyn Turner), 16 – Sam Hiatt, 24 – Jayden Perry, 2 – Reyna Reyes (84’ 20 – Kaitlyn Torpey); 17 – Sam Coffey (C), 8 – Hina Sugita (62’ 4 – Laila Harbert); 21 – Jessie Fleming (77’ 19 – Pietra Tordin), 10 – Deyna Castellanos (84’ 88 – Valerin Loboa), 13 – Olivia Moultrie
Unused substitutes: 1 – Bella Bixby (GK); 26 – Mimi Alidou, 34 – Daiane, 77 – Alex Spaanstra
Head coach: Rob Gale
Next Up For Gotham FC
Gotham FC shifts its focus for the final time in 2025 to the Concacaf W Champions Cup, hosting the Washington Spirit in its last group stage match Wednesday at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, with coverage on Paramount+.