NJ/NYGotham went to their match against the Utah Royals looking to jump Kansas City Current for third place. With the playoffs right around the corner, Gotham needed all three points to secure a straight path into the post season.
The Bats hit the ground running as Yasmeen Ryan was able to find the back of the net in the third minute. The goal came after Lynn Williams was able to force the turnover, gaining possession in the middle of the final third.
The rest of the half would not provide as much excitement. Gotham would held majority of the possession, but it would take awhile for them to get the opportunities to have a chance at goal. The opportunities were coming, but none that were able to go into the goal. Some shots tested the Utah keeper, others went just wide.
The second half started off hot as well. However, Gotham were not able to capitalize on their fast start, like in the first half. Back to back opportunities from Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle would force saves, but no goal.
After dominating for most of the game with possession, Gotham would get the win with the sole first half goal. After collecting all three points, the Bats were able to seal their playoff spot, making it to back to back appearances in the post season.
Throughout this season Gotham has struggled in some games to score goals. They are pulling out the wins, though, even if it is just by one. What does help is their defensive. The Bats have the league’s second lowest goals scored against them.
What sometimes can be a problem for Gotham is the pace of the game. When the Bats have a lot of possession they tend to slow the game down. When the game is at a lull, it makes the counter attack more open as it allows the other team to get to their defensive positions. Obviously no team can play at a high pace for 90 minutes, but it just means that there will have to be focus on not keeping the ball.
