Page 78 - Soccer360 Issue 104

GOTHAM TAKES THE PRIZE!
AFTER YEARS OF BEING AT THE BOTTOM, OF FACING UNCERTAINTY BOTH ON AND OFF OF THE FIELD, THE SUPPORTERS OF NJ/NY GOTHAM FC CAN FINALLY ENJOY SOME HARDWARE.
Kristie Mewis, who has 53 caps with the United States Women’s National Team
The sky is no longer just blue in New Jersey, it is also gold. In front of 25,011 at Red Bull Arena they held on to defeat OL Reign 2-1 in the NWSL Championship.
Gotham’s underdog story is very much symbolic of the NWSL and women’s soccer as a whole. It is a story that is steeped in passion and excitement but also the many problems that the women’s game has encountered have had to . One of the founding members of the NWSL, Gotham has made the playoffs just twice prior to this season (they did win the Women’s Professional Soccer league, the predecessor to the NWSL, in 2009).
While the side through the years has featured
the likes of Sam Kerr and Carli Lloyd, they could never really put it all together. One of the major reasons for this was that while it was a professional team, administratively it was treated as a minor- league operation. Players and fans have had to suffer through multiple seasons in which the club played in substandard stadiums all across the
New York-New Jersey metro area. Just after the 2017 season started, reports surfaced of players training without running water, working toilets,
and showers. Ownership also walked back on their promise to provide housing for players and living accommodations. Despite picking up players such
Captain McCall Zerboni
The 2023 NWSL Champions, Gotham FC
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