Gotham FC played their last home match of the regular season against Orlando Pride. The Bats looked to keep up their unbeaten streak and hand Orlando their second defeat.
Gotham came out firing. They were able to put the pressure on Orlando early, forcing turnovers from the Pride. When Orlando had possession in their attacking half the Bats were able to clear the ball. Defensively Gotham was sound throughout the first half.
A goal came in the 13th minute after a corner kick from a blocked shot. Sam Hiatt was able to sneak the ball across the line with her back to goal and a defender right on her as she received the ball in front of goal.
It was a tight battle for most of the first half after the goal as Orlando looked to get into their groove. Gotham prevented that from happening, but a mistake from Hiatt in the 18-yard box forced a penalty kick for Orlando, which tied the game up in the 26th minute. From that minute on Gotham looked more threatening, getting forward and having shots at goal.
Nothing came until just before half time when Rose Lavelle gave Gotham their go-ahead goal. Leading up to the goal Ella Stevens worked her magic dribbling past her defenders into the 18, crossing the ball. It appeared to have hit off the hand of an Orlando defender, but the referee didn’t make the call, so the play continued and more importantly so did Gotham.
The second half saw Gotham pick up where they left off; on the front foot. The Bats were applying wave after wave of attack, looking to break down the Pride defense that had stood solid all season long. It would take less than five minutes for the Bats to find another goal, courtesy of Ella Stevens this time.
For the twenty minutes after Gotham’s third goal, they would continue to keep the high attacking level before having to settle down and defend. When it came to be their time to defend, however, the Bats showed why they have been undefeated in their last six matches. If it was not Jess Carter or Hiatt stepping up on defense, then old reliable Ann-Katrin Berger was making saves. Throughout the whole game Gotham showed how strong their defense is even without captains and key players Kelley O’Hara and Tierna Davidson.
The match ended 3-1 in favor of the Bats and Kelley O’Hara’s retirement celebration was even more joyful after securing all three points. It also helps on their way to secure a top two finish in the NWSL standings going into the playoffs.
It seems that Gotham are hitting their stride at the right moment in the season as the post season starts in two weeks. Even missing key players, like Midge Purce and Kelley O’Hara to season ending injuries hasn’t stopped them from reaching their max potential.
