From Gotham FC
Gotham FC Post-Match Press Conference Transcripts
Gotham FC 1, Houston Dash 2
Sports Illustrated Stadium
Harrison, N.J.
When:
August 17, 2025
Who:
Coach Juan Carlos Amorós
Midfielder Sarah Schupansky
Defender Jess Carter
HEAD COACH JUAN CARLOS AMORÓS
Thoughts on the game
It’s obviously a difficult one to take. The team did everything needed to win apart from scoring
the goals. Football was a little cruel to us today. I can’t remember another game we dominated
so much—so many chances, so many shots—and with one effort, the opposition managed to
score twice. That’s tough to accept.
At the same time, we prepared well, and the players executed the plan. We started the game
really strongly; the first half was fantastic. To hold a good Houston side to zero shots in the half
is full credit to the team.
Then, in the second half, the unfortunate goal happened, followed by the weather delay. During
that break, we had to take off Rose [Lavelle] and Katie [Stengel]. Even then, I felt if any team
was going to win in the last half hour, it was going to be us. But in the end, it didn’t happen, and
we lost.
It’s difficult, but it’s part of the game. I couldn’t ask for more from my players today. Now it’s
about standing up and preparing, because we have less than 72 hours until our next match.
On going into Concacaf W Champions Cup on Wednesday
For me, it’s very important. If we win against [CF] Monterrey, considering Washington [Spirit]
and us are favorites for the top two spots, that result would give us a big chance to reach the
semifinals.
This competition is very important to us. We are the reigning champions, and there’s a lot of
prestige that comes with winning an international trophy in Concacaf. We want to continue being
recognized as the best team, winning international competitions, and building that legacy.
It also gives us access to another [FIFA] Club World Cup. We’ve already qualified twice, and
reaching another tournament is a major target for us as a club. So we want to do our best on
Wednesday against Monterrey, who are a very good side. We’ll see how it unfolds at Icahn
Stadium.
On Esther González scoring her 11th goal of the season
She’s such a winner. You could see how in the end she gave absolutely everything today. She
got hurt right at the start of the second half, but even then she tried to put the team on her
shoulders and push us toward a win.
We had Katie [Stengel] and Rose [Lavelle] around her in key moments, but we had to take both
of them out. That meant Sofia [Cook], Khyah [Harper], and Kayla [Duran]—all very young
players—had to step in. We ended up finishing with five or six players who are still very new to
the professional game. In those moments, the senior players take on extra responsibility, and I
think everyone could see that she really wanted to win.
I can guarantee she’d rather not score if it meant the team could get three points. But right now
she’s been fantastic for us—not just with goals, but with everything she brings to the team.
We’re very happy with her.
MIDFIELDER SARAH SCHUPANSKY
Thoughts on the game
Nobody likes to be on the back end of games like that. Certainly tough to come back out after a
weather delay. And I think the team had a really good mindset going into that, I guess third half
of the game, almost, and it's just a very unfortunate way to end it. But I do think there were
some very good moments throughout the game, and we connected very well and executed on a
lot of things we've been working towards throughout the last week or so. We do have another
game coming up very, very quickly, so we can let this one sting for a little bit, but we definitely
have to refocus as soon as possible and and move on to the next.
Positive takeaways from the first half offense
We were really happy with how things were going at the beginning part of the game. It didn't
only look strong, it actually felt very strong, but amongst all of us, we were very satisfied with it.
We knew that we had to come out and kind of stay on the front foot and keep going as hard as
we could. I think that we did a lot of things very, very well. It's just hard to focus on those things
when the game ends in the way that it does. But I know when we go back and we evaluate - our
analysts are incredible at just picking out the key moments that we should continue to build
upon, and then the moments that led to success for us. I think that that's just going to be the
initiative in the next couple of days, is to just take away the good moments as well as the things
we need to work on, and put it towards our view on Wednesday.
On regrouping for the Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup group stage match on Wednesday
It's extremely important. The staff has been preparing us immensely for this week. It's three
games in six days, so our heads are filled with a lot of different things, and there's a ton of things
to accomplish over the next couple of days. The staff has done a great job of making sure we're
taking one thing at a time. So today's focus was this game and this game only, and
unfortunately ended the way it did. But now our focus is Wednesday's game. We have a ton of
experience on our roster as well as an incredible staff, so they have been great about just
helping us all refocus and helping us just move past what we just experienced. We're going to
step into training tomorrow, and I think that our leaders on the team are going to do a great job
of making sure that we're not only focused on Wednesday, but also taking away the good things
we did today, as well as the things we can improve upon.
The feelings after a tough loss at home
It's tough. We want to do as much for the fans as they do for us. There were people that
toughed it out for a two hour weather delay today, still rooting us on, pushing us through the
95th minute of this game. We want to do everything we can to satisfy them and to let them know
that we're playing for them and we want to succeed for them. So it definitely stings. It hurts. But I
think our fan base knows that we're putting our best foot forward every week. We're trying our
best. We're not going to come out on top every single time, but the continued support that they
show us is very appreciated, and I hope that they know that we're going to continue to work as
hard as we possibly can to give them the results that they deserve, and I think that we're
capable of certainly reaching so it. It certainly stinks, but I guarantee that we'll come back from it
stronger. There's been a lot of things that this team has had to overcome over this season, and
every single time we've persevered and we've pushed through, and I think this will be no
different.
DEFENDER JESS CARTER
Thoughts on the game
Obviously we're super disappointed. I felt like we dominated the game. So to come away from
this game with a loss is obviously really disappointing. And the way that we lost in the last
minutes I think was really tough. That sort of goes to show that anyone can win on any given
day.
I think the statistics at the end were probably more in our favor and it was quality finishing in the
end from the Houston player. Naturally I was just disappointed, but it is something we've gotta
get over really quick because we've got a game again in three days.
On defensive tactics
I think we try to pride ourselves on being defensively disciplined, and that's right from our nine
all the way back to Ann [-Katrin Berger] in goal. I think that we try to be aggressive in our press.
We try to shift really hard together and they find the opportunities that the opposition gets. But I
think it's the work rate of the team more than anything else. The willingness to do the work right
from the front. I don't even know if that's a tactic really, but I think that's the biggest thing for us
defensively.
On if this game stings
It felt like today was a decent performance. So I think this loss will, will hurt quite a bit because
when you feel like you're on top and you're dominating, it obviously is tough then to come away