Home›Professional›NJ/NY Gotham FC›Powerful Gotham FC Reach 5 Wins in a Row

Powerful Gotham FC Reach 5 Wins in a Row

NJ/NY Gotham FC, Professional, Soccer, USWNT

June 20, 2024

Gotham FC continue their win streak and unbeaten streak in a win over the San Diego Wave. The Bats find themselves holding on to fourth place.

The majority of the first half saw Gotham with well over half the possession. The Bats did well moving the ball up the pitch, finding players out wide, and even hitting long balls to break the lines. Crystal Dunn with constant crosses but no one on the end of them. The whole half giving San Diego a run for their money.

The majority of the possession was in Gotham’s favor. However, possession without a purpose doesn’t do much. The chances are coming, creating space and finding open players. The crosses were coming in, there is just no one on the end of them. The creativity that had been lacking in the first few games of the season was on full display and has been. What was lacking in the first half was just getting shots off that really tested the San Diego keeper.

There would be five added minutes to the first half, and that helped Gotham to find the go-ahead goal before the half. Rose Lavelle would open the scoring for the Bats with a banger from outside the 18. Lavelle was able to find space after Katie Stengel was able to pick the ball up in the midfield. It was that moment of brilliance that gave Gotham the lead going into the half.

The second half of the match started on a negative for Gotham. In just a little more than three minutes, San Diego was able to tie the game up. The goal seemed to have thrown off the Bats. In the second half, after the Wave's goal, Gotham was not as dominant as in the first half. The game was much more open, though Gotham still had the better of the chances. The play was also slower than it was in the first half, as chances were few.

After many stoppages and a hydration break, the fourth official added 10 minutes to the match. It would take almost the full ten minutes of stoppage time for Gotham to find the winning goal. In the 98th minute, Jenna Nighswonger was able to find a cross to rookie Maycee Bell, who was able to work around her defender to get her first touch before hitting the back of the net. The flares were lit as Bell's teammates rushed to celebrate her first professional goal with her.

The match would finish 2-1, helping Gotham to keep their winning streak alive. Dunn and defender Taryn Torres were the players of the match. Dunn was a constant threat on the offensive side, making runs down the flanks and hitting dangerous crosses for most of the game. Bell's goal started with Dunn from a fantastic turn on her defender to create the space to run into.

This match marked Torres' first start of the season, and with the performance she put in, no one would have known. Torres did not miss a beat on the defensive end. She spent much of the game making big tackles, handling San Diego's attacks when they were coming down her side of the pitch.

No matter who head coach Juan Carlos Amoros calls upon, they show up on the pitch. No matter who starts or who comes in as a substitute, they contribute to the play on the pitch and contribute to the winning streak.

Gotham plays their next match at Red Bull Arena this Sunday. The match kicks off at 1:30 pm on ESPN against the Washington Spirit, the last team to beat them.