How Gotham FC became Concacaf champions, and what it means | OneFootball

Gotham FC triumphed over hosts Tigres UANL1-0 in Saturday night's inaugural W Concacaf Champions Cup final on Esther Gonzalez's late goal.

Here's how the New Yorkers triumphed, and what it means for the club and the NWSL.

In the inaugural CONCACAF Women's Champions Cup final, Gotham looked to secure the trophy against Tigres. In the semifinal, Gotham faced Club America and won with a scoreline of 3-1. Tigres played the Portland Thorns, keeping a clean sheet, and scoring two goals to send them to the finals. Both teams had good momentum going into the final, but ultimately Gotham came out on top.

Gotham's path to victory

After a 3-1 victory over Club America in the semifinals, Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amorós sent out a strong squad to face Tigres, who finished fifth in the Liga MX Femenil, led by the talented front line of Midge Purce, Esther González, and Geyse.

Tigres goalkeeper Itzel González was called to make a crucial early double save after her initial mistake gave Gotham the ball in dangerous territory. The Tigres goalkeeper's heroics continued before the hosts' Lizbeth Ovalle came close on a long-range effort, which would have been a stunning goal to open the final.

But the first half's best chance came when Midge Purce drew a penalty kick foul. Purce stepped up to the spot herself and struck the ball well from the spot but González again stood her ground and made a diving save.

The second half played out similarly with both sides threatening. But as the game headed into the final 10 minutes of regular time, Emily Sonnett drew a foul in the box giving Gotham another penalty.

This time Gotham's leading scorer González stepped up. The Tigres keeper again made the initial save, but González pounced on the rebound. Tigres failed to find an equalizer as Gotham held on.

What the win means for Gotham

The win for Gotham will be a much-needed confidence boost after its NWSL struggles. They now sit ninth in the table after two straight losses in the league. And while it required two penalties in the final, Gotham also scored in back-to-back matches after a three-match dry league run.