Gotham FC Advances to 2025 NWSL Championship

Hudson County’s Gotham FC, based in Harrison, New Jersey, advanced to the 2025 NWSL Championship with a 1-0 semifinal win over the Orlando Pride on Sunday, November 16. The match, played at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, was decided by a stoppage-time free kick from midfielder Jaedyn Shaw.

With the win, Gotham FC becomes the first No. 8 seed—and lowest seed ever—to reach the NWSL final. The club will face the Washington Spirit in the championship match on Saturday, November 22, at 8 p.m. ET at PayPal Park in San Jose, California. The game will air on CBS.

“It’s been an incredible, demanding season for us,” said head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. “That never-give-up mentality kept going until the end, until the final whistle, with that Gotham DNA.”

Sunday’s match was a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to create clear chances. Gotham did not record a shot on target until Shaw’s goal in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time.

The victory marked Gotham’s fourth road playoff win, a league record, and its 12th clean sheet of the season.

Shaw, acquired via transfer in September, has now contributed to all three of Gotham’s goals in the 2025 postseason. “I’m grateful that everybody trusts me to step up in those moments,” said Shaw. “I’m really happy that I can help the team win in that way.”

Saturday’s final marks Gotham’s second trip to the championship in three years. The club won the 2023 title as the No. 6 seed.