By Emmanuel Faith 27/11/25
Above: NWSL Champions, Gotham FC. PC. Photo: Gotham on Twitter.
The 2025 NWSL playoffs don’t often follow a predicted script. Every year, the table flattens, rhythm breaks, and teams discover quickly that November football asks different questions than the regular season. Isn’t that what we all signed-up for?
1.184m fans across the globe tuned in to watch the NWSL finals between Gotham and Washington Spirit, but the journey started before Sunday.
Quarter-finals:
The play off started on a rather brutal note; Kansas City’s control didn’t survive the first hurdle, Portland struggled stretch a game when it mattered, Orlando pushed every match to its emotional edge, and Washington looked like a side reconnecting with its identity but it was Gotham who left the fans with layers of surprise.
Kansas City: The First Proof of Gotham’s Shift
Kansas City had spent the season controlling matches with ease. They had a structure that stretched opponents, a midfield that dictated pace, and enough attacking depth to overwhelm most teams. On paper, Gotham weren’t supposed to disrupt that.
However, knock-out games are unpredictable and this played out in the first quarter-finals. Coming into the match as the underdogs, Gotham focused on organization: with tight lines, covering distance and the defence tracking KC current runs and attacks. They allowed Kansas City the ball, but not in the territory that mattered.
There was a lot of tactical movement, on the ball runs, off the ball runs with Rose Lavelle being the metronome that kept the team ticking rapidly and after a cagey sixty minutes, Gotham’s priced jewel broke the deadlock with a brilliant goal.
We thought Jayden’s Shaw 68th minute strike was going to win it but Ellis Wheeler struck an equalizer at death that moved the match to extra-time.
After 30 minutes of brilliant football from tired legs, and stunning saves from both keepers, the fans were mentally preparing for penalties until Katie Stengel fired home the winner from a Midge Purce’ assist.
A goal that defined their playoff journey.
Semi-finals.
Before Gotham reached the final, Washington put together one of the cleanest performances of the playoffs in their semi-final against Portland.
The first goal; Ivorian striker, Kouassi carrying the ball through pressure, finding Super Gift Monday, and the second goal, Monday slipping the final pass to Croix Bethune was one of the sequences etched in the fans mind. The Nigerian winger really did steal the show.
Orlando: Gotham Stay Composed in a Physical Game
The semi-final against Orlando depicted Gotham’s tactical awareness and resilience more than any other match.
Orlando pressed high. They tried to force Gotham into rushed touches and emotional decisions. But Gotham didn’t stretch themselves. They defended with compact spacing, funneled play into crowded areas, and forced Orlando to work through traffic.
The balance between Jess Carter and Emily Sonnet, the brilliant saves of Ann-Katrin Berger and Bruninha linking up with Midge Purce on the right wing of the field caused Orlando a lot of problems and neither Marta or her team-mates could solve.
While Shaw’s stoppage-time free-kick will always be the headline, what won the game was a team who was focused on getting a victory by all legal and possible means in football terms.
The Final: One Clean Action Decides It
Washington Spirit began the final with sharp rotations and more of the ball but Gotham read the match early and stifled their opponent’s attack and speed.
Their defensive management was disciplined. They kept midfield lines close, handled Kouassi’s drifting movements, and tracked Monday’s inside runs without giving up depth and kept Rodman at bay when she was subbed in.
The breakthrough arrived when Bruninha stepped out of the line with audacious intent as she had often done in previous matches. She carried the ball forward, read the movement, and delivered a brilliant pass across the box. Rose Lavelle met it with the calmness you expect from a midfielder who recognizes decisive space.
One touch. One finish. One shift in the final.
Almost a month ago, Gotham was 8th seed whose was preparing to face Kansas City, a team that had broken every possible record, but today, they are the NWSL champions, their second in three seasons.
We love the NWSL regular season, but play-off is where the shocking surprises are.
With 1.18m people tuning in to watch the finals, it was a perfect way to end an enthralling season.
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