From Gotham FC:
Gotham FC Post-Match Press Conference Transcripts
Gotham FC 2, Kansas City Current 1
CPKC Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
When:
Nov. 9, 2025
Who:
Coach Juan Carlos Amorós
Midfielder Jaedyn Shaw
Forward Katie Stengel
HEAD COACH JUAN CARLOS AMORÓS
On today’s match
Where to start? Maybe first, to congratulate Kansas City and Vlatko [Andonovski]. They’ve been
amazing all year and thoroughly deserved to win the [NWSL] Shield. I think Vlatko will win
Coach of the Year – or at least deserves to. They’ve all been great. So even though we won
today, I want to begin by congratulating them for the fantastic season they’ve had.
As for today, I think we really saw the best version of ourselves – the one we know is in us.
Everyone wrote us off before we even played, assuming Gotham was going home. But
internally, we knew the spirit and quality of these players, the vision of ownership and the work
of the staff behind the scenes said something different. We wanted to show that out there today.
In the end, I love it but also hate it because it’s so emotional – but it was a proper playoff game.
I think we deserved to win. We dominated where we wanted to dominate – possession, chances
– and took a very good lead in the first half. Jaedyn [Shaw] did fantastic in that position as the
nine, and the whole backline was excellent. It was unfortunate to concede in the 93rd minute. I
couldn’t believe it – again, we were winning a game and conceded in the 93rd, just like last year.
But we knew it’s not a game of 11 players. We have 25. Some were called upon, and the
players who came off the bench were really, really good and helped the team. It wasn’t easy to
come into the game, especially after conceding a goal. Jaedyn was great, and Kalya [Duran] in
different positions helped the team, flicking the ball into space.
I’m super happy for Katie [Stengel] – she really deserves it. She’s one of those players who
probably hasn’t had the praise she deserves in her career. She’s such a great human being and
such a great player. It’s been hard because she probably hasn’t scored as many goals as she
wanted since joining us, but this one definitely counts for all of that.
From here, I want to congratulate all my team, the club, every staff member and especially the
fans. They’ve been amazing this year. Unfortunately, we couldn’t play this game at home in front
of them. There were a few here, but I know whether it was at a viewing party or at home, they
were supporting, suffering and enjoying – and this win is definitely for them.
On Jaedyn Shaw and Katie Stengel joining the club midseason and having this impact today
It’s been a difficult year in terms of finding consistency, but we knew we wanted to strengthen
the team a bit during the window. Katie is someone we know well – we’re familiar with her, we
trust her, and we believe in her. And Jaedyn, for me, is definitely one of the best players in the
world. What a performance from both of them.
Today, Ella [Stevens] was almost there – she was available off the bench – and we’ve been
missing her a lot. Not having Geyse was tough too; it’s a similar situation, very close but not
quite there. Those two stepped up and took responsibility, and they were fantastic.
In the forward line, Gabi [Portilho] and Midge [Purce] didn’t get on the scoresheet like the other
two, but they were unbelievable on and off the ball. I’m super proud of Katie and Jaedyn, but
none of it happens without everyone else.
For example, Ann[-Katrin Berger] was disappointed with the goal she conceded, but then she
made the play that led to the free kick that gave us the winner. Everyone today truly deserves
praise – every single one of them.
On not fearing any opponent
I think that says a lot about the team’s mentality. Jaedyn was probably the one speaking for
everyone. Like you said, it was uncharacteristic – it’s not as if we’ve played that way all year.
Maybe the first half in North Carolina, but people tend to judge you off one game or one half.
As I’ve mentioned before, yes, we finished eighth, but this team has gone through so much this
year. We’ve played more games than anyone, traveled more than anyone and won a
competition that gives us the chance to play in the [FIFA Women’s Club] World Cup. Everyone
wrote us off, but maybe that’s given this group even more fire to perform at the level we know
we can. We’ve shown that during the year – maybe not with the consistency we wanted – but
that’s football.
Sometimes we were missing players and had to adapt. We can’t forget we have 15 new players
this year, all getting to know each other, plus nine or 10 rookies – with three or four of them
playing today – and they were fantastic.
Everyone behind the scenes has been pushing in the same direction. It’s been a difficult week,
with everything we wanted to cover together – working with players individually and as a group
on how we can be better together. Everyone, not just the players but also the staff, really
pushed to make sure we could make history today.
As the No. 8 seed, to go away and win – that’s down to how everyone pushed together.
On what he said after the end of regulation to the team
I think it was like that for us – the longer the game went, the better we felt. The more minutes we
played, the more confident we were, because we back the people coming off the bench to help,
and we back the way we play.
Penalties, at the end of the day, are a bit of a lottery. So we wanted to make sure we got back to
how we were playing. With people in different positions, we had to readjust certain things, but
that’s why our style is so important – because when things get chaotic, you can fall back on it. I
think that’s where the team really excelled today: the defending, the aggressiveness and the
ability to keep play in the opponent’s half.
They have certain tools, like Bia [Zaneratto], who’s unbelievable at holding the ball and relieving
pressure. For us, it was about coming back to who we are, because we knew that’s what would
carry us. That was the message – trust who we are and trust the people on the bench ready to
come in and help.
We made another move with Josefine [Hasbo], and we were debating one more, but in the end
it was fantastic to see that goal go in.
On the importance of Emily Sonnett’s leadership
From the game and the family today, I thought it was the kind of performance you could show in
academies for young girls or boys – to see how she defended, balanced the team, knew when
to shift, when to step up, stayed calm on the ball and changed tempo. She was excellent.
Even at the end, she felt we could have the upper hand and started going forward, helping
create overloads out wide. She was outstanding. The way she cares about this team is
incredible. She’s been our iron woman, even though she missed a few minutes. She broke the
club record for most minutes played in a regular season – and it’s completely deserved. Her
performance today was unbelievable.
Defensively, everyone worked incredibly hard, but she, Jess [Carter], Jaedyn, and Ann were
unbelievable. The way we play leaves them very exposed at times, but they handled it so well.
I’m very happy with Emily and her unit – if we can call it that.
On the first win for Gotham FC against Kansas City and the togetherness of the team
It’s great – that’s the moment, and what happened is a statement. But at the same time, it’s just
a game. Just like people shouldn’t have been writing us off last week, now they probably
shouldn’t read too much into one result either. This game is about what you do in the 90 minutes
you’re playing, and that’s a consequence of what you do all year – how you work during the
week, how you prepare with the players.
That’s where we focus – on the process – to make sure the outcomes are what we want. Now
we’ll turn to preparing for Orlando. Hopefully it’s a little warmer down there, because oh my God,
it was so cold out there – you can’t even imagine.
For us, it’s always about us. The things outside are nice, of course – we study our opponents
and look at what tools we can use within our style to help us win the game. But we also trust the
fantastic players we have. That’s the way we operate.
As for statements – from us or from them – Kansas City has been fantastic all year. They
deserve all the praise they’ve gotten. Now we move on to the next round and prepare to win
against Orlando.
On the quality of the rookie class and stepping up in big matches
As I said before, we’ve had nine or ten rookies this year, and they’ve been unbelievable.
They’ve taken a lot of responsibility in moments when some of the senior players weren’t there
– especially Sarah [Schupansky]. She’s been playing as the number 10, which in our team is
normally Rose Lavelle’s role, and she’s been outstanding. That experience really prepared her
for this moment.
She’s an incredible human being and talent, and the way she thinks about the game and about
life is going to take her unbelievably far. She’s made it to the U-23 national team, and today we
wanted to be offensive – Sarah is an attacking player, and with our forward line, we thought it
was the perfect combination. She was incredible.
Another rookie who did a great job today in a very difficult moment was Josefine [Hasbo] –
credit to her as well, and to Kayla [Duran]. And then there’s Lilly [Reale] – she looks like she’s
been a professional for six or seven years already. The way she plays, performs, focuses and
supports her teammates is remarkable.
She’s still very young, and we can’t forget that. She’s been playing in a position she hasn’t often
played before, but she’s been unbelievable. I don’t know if she’ll win Rookie of the Year, but I
think both of them deserve to be in contention. They’ve truly excelled and earned it with the way
they’ve played all year.
To be out there in that game today, we trusted them, their teammates trusted them and they
went out and smashed it. So congratulations to both of them.
On Esther González’s availability and how she’s doing
Yeah, I definitely hope it’s warmer, because it was really cold out there. She’s obviously very
close – very, very close. She’s a very important player for us, but we also have others like Katie,
or in this case Jaedyn, or whoever plays in that spot. We didn’t want to rush it. She was
available to play a small part if needed, but that’s just the way it is. She’s close.
As for the wind, it factored into what we wanted to do. We hoped to have it in our favor in the
second half, knowing legs would be tired and the game would go long. It was really windy, so we
wanted to attack away from the end with the big wall of fans. Those are things we look at closely
– my staff, myself and the players – every little detail that can be a difference maker.
Normally in America, the conditions we worry about are the sun and heat because we play in
the summer, but today it was the cold – and especially the wind.
MIDFIELDER JAEDYN SHAW
On her thoughts after today’s match
I think we’ve underperformed the last few games, so we really came into this one knowing we
had to show up and bring everything we could – individually and as a team.
I think that really showed out there, from the starters to the game changers. We stuck together
through the highs and lows, like Katie [Stengel] said, and it really showed how much chemistry
we have and how much we want to work for each other.
I think this is just the beginning for this team.
On the game plan today and limiting Kansas City’s chances
I think from top to bottom, we really executed the game plan. Our backline played lights out and
did everything they possibly could to make sure we came out of this game with a win.
Executing the game plan, but also understanding the flows of momentum – knowing when to
drop back into a block, reset and then build pressure again – was really important for us.
Late in the game, we knew we wanted to push for a goal. We didn’t want to play it safe; we
wanted to keep pressure on the ball. Just knowing we were all on the same page with that and
doing it together as a team was huge.
On what it meant to have a goal and assist in such a big match
It’s so crazy. I love this team – it’s been so fun being a part of this club.
Coming into this game, we all knew we were going to bring everything we had. We honestly felt
good. The vibes were good, we felt confident about the game plan and we ultimately executed
basically everything we wanted to.
I’m really happy to be part of this team, and it’s only the beginning. This is the first game of
three, so we’re going to keep pushing.
On the message after the end of regulation heading into extra time
I think we’ve been in that position before. We really came together in that moment, and we knew
we could come out of this game with a win. That belief was shared across the entire team –
from the bench to the field, top to bottom – we all knew we could win this game.
The table doesn’t show how good of a team this is. We’re not an eighth-place team. And I’m
sorry, but underdog my ass – we are not an underdog. We came into this game knowing people
thought we were, that we were just the last seed that barely made it into the playoffs. That’s not
who we are.
We’re going to continue to grow as a team, and like I said earlier, this is only the beginning.
On the key to tonight’s win
We obviously know the threats that Kansas City can bring, and they’ve shown that all season.
Statistically, we came into this game as a team that has slowed down their attack before, even if
we didn’t come away with the three points.
Coming into this one, we knew we could keep them out of our net for as long as possible and
minimize the threats up top. In transition, we knew we could overload in different areas and get
to goal quickly.
We’re an incredible team, and we’re just going to capitalize on all the opportunities we can get.
FORWARD KATIE STENGEL
On the feelings after today’s match
Relieved. Oh, thank God. It was a big, long game, and I think it was the best we’ve played all
season. Everyone was working well together, and things were coming off.
To go through such a high and then such a low, it was nice that we finally ended how we
deserved.
On her legacy at Gotham FC
You make me sound old. I knew what this team was capable of, and I’m honored that Juan
[Carlos Amoros] took a chance on me again and brought me back.
I get to be a part of this, and it’s incredible to be among this group of players. When we’re
performing and playing well together, it’s so much fun to play soccer.
I’m just very happy to be part of it and to play whatever role I can.
On making an impact off the bench and the quality of the match
I think it shows the depth and parity of this league. Even going into the playoffs, you had no idea
who was going to play who because the table was so tight.
Earning time on the field for your respective team is tough too, so it’s fun to play with so many
incredible, talented players – everyone getting their minutes when they can and being ready to
perform.
On what she saw on the late game-winning goal
I saw chaos, and then I saw Jaedyn – wow, I messed you guys up on the field too. I saw her
flick me the ball into space, and I just thought, please, hit this with all your might and keep it on
target.
Then came relief – everyone running toward me – and I was afraid they were going to hit my
head because I still have staples.
It was adrenaline that kept it under control. Like I said before, it was relief – because you get
played into certain moments and can feel the pressure of those moments. But when you have
the backing of your entire team, it’s more like, okay, I just have to do this for everybody.
Anyone who would have been in that position would have finished it. We would have all been so
excited. To get that opportunity is incredible, and I’m just happy to be part of this group.
On where this goal ranks in her career
Every forward loves to score – we strive for that feeling every single game. But when you play in
big games and have big moments, those goals are definitely more special, especially when
there’s so much at stake.
Mentally, it was a huge hurdle for me to get my head out of my ass after the last couple of
seconds of the game. I say make up for it, but really, it was about doing what I could offensively.
It meant a lot to me to overcome that and do what I could to help our team, because this team is
incredible and played so well for 120 minutes.
I was just happy that we could finally seal it with what we felt we deserved – a victory.
On the importance of the win
It got us to the next round. The best part about this game was seeing so much heart – everyone
threw their bodies on the line, making a block, making a pass, doing whatever they had to do to
make sure we won.
It brings us that much closer together, and now we’re ready to fire and go into the next round.
7 / 7
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