The Cardiac Kids struck again.
Gotham FC punched its ticket to the 2025 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel, with yet another last-minute game-winner, this time courtesy of Jaedyn Shaw’s free kick in the seventh minute of stoppage time. The 1-0 victory over the reigning champion Orlando Pride clinched Gotham’s shot at a second NWSL title in three years.
The final pits Gotham against its archrival, the Washington Spirit, in Saturday’s NWSL Championship game at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.
“A very special day for the club, for the players, for the staff, for the fans who are the reason why we do this job,” said Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós. “It’s been an incredible, demanding season for us, playing more than everyone, traveling more than everyone, going through a lot of things that were costing us a little bit of consistency. … That never-give-up mentality kept going until the end, until the final whistle, with that Gotham DNA.”
It was a nervy semifinal at Inter&Co Stadium in the heart of Florida, with both teams shaky to start. Orlando, the fourth seed in this year’s bracket, had the best chance of the first half, narrowly missing from close range on a teasing ball through Gotham’s penalty area. Just after Shaw’s goal, the Pride nearly equalized before the final whistle, but goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger made a brilliant reaction save diving to her right to paw a header over the bar.
Gotham didn’t register a shot on target until Shaw’s goal. The visitors had their fair share of breaks on the attacking front, but two shots from Rose Lavelle were blocked, and both Esther González and Jaelin Howell fired shots off target.
Deep into stoppage time, Lavelle won a foul 22 yards from goal to Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse’s right. The angle for the free kick prompted both Lavelle and Shaw to stand over the ball as potential takers, but Shaw’s right-footed delivery curled a whipped shot/cross toward the back post. Gotham forward Midge Purce was in the vicinity of the bounding ball, putting off Moorhouse just enough to open a path into the side netting.
Shaw, already the youngest player in NWSL history to have two goal contributions in the postseason, now has two of the biggest goals in the Gotham FC record books.
“I’m grateful that everybody trusts me to step up in those moments,” said Shaw, who arrived at Gotham via transfer in September. “Ultimately it starts on the training field. I feel the staff has really helped me improve my free kicks and all set pieces, so credit to them for helping me literally every day at training. I’m really happy that I can help the team win in that way.”
Key Match Points
- Gotham FC advanced to its second NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel, in three years.
- Both appearances have come as the lowest seed in the playoffs (No. 6 in 2023, No. 8 in 2025).
- Gotham is the first No. 8 seed – and the lowest seed ever – to advance to the NWSL Championship.
- The club extended its league record with its fourth road playoff win.
- The win marked the sixth playoff victory for head coach Juan Carlos Amorós, setting a new league record.
- Midfielder Jaedyn Shaw scored the latest regulation game-winner in a semifinal in league history (96:06).
- Shaw has been involved in all three Gotham playoff goals in the 2025 postseason (two goals, one assist).
- She tied the club record for combined playoff goals and assists with three.
- Gotham recorded its 12th clean sheet of the season; only the Kansas City Current (16) has more in 2025.
- Gotham improved to 9-1-4 when scoring the opening goal in NWSL play this season, and 7-0-3 when scoring first on the road.
- Defender Bruninha extended her club record for career playoff appearances to seven.
- She is now second in club history with 515 career playoff minutes.
- Forward Midge Purce is now first in Gotham history with 559 career playoff minutes.
- Purce and forward Esther González now share the club record for playoff starts with six.
- Defender Emily Sonnett extended her league records for playoff appearances (16), starts (16) and minutes (1,589).
Gotham FC at Orlando Pride
Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025
3 p.m. ET kickoff
Inter&Co Stadium; Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 15,715
Weather: 78 degrees, sunny
Gotham FC (0, 1 – 1)
Orlando Pride (0, 0 – 0)
Scoring Summary
Gotham FC
90+7’ - Jaedyn Shaw
Gotham FC (4-3-3): 30 – Ann-Katrin Berger (GK); 3 – Bruninha (53’ 22 – Mandy Freeman), 6 – Emily Sonnett, 27 – Jess Carter, 4 – Lilly Reale (90’+1 19 — Kayla Duran); 7 – Jaelin Howell, 2 – Jaedyn Shaw, 16 – Rose Lavelle (C); 23 – Midge Purce, 9 – Esther González, 18 – Gabi Portilho (63’ 5 – Josefine Hasbo)
Unused substitutes: 1 – Shelby Hogan (GK); 11 – Sarah Schupansky, 13 – Ella Stevens, 21 – Sofia Cook, 28 – Katie Stengel, 34 – Khyah Harper
Head coach: Juan Carlos Amorós
Orlando Pride (4-3-3): 1 – Anna Moorhouse (GK); 12 – Cori Dyke (46’ 21 – Oihane), 6 – Emily Sams, 4 – Rafaelle, 25 – Kerry Abello; 2 – Haley McCutcheon, 30 – Ally Lemos (75’ 19 – Carson Pickett), 15 – Angelina; 13 – Jacquie Ovalle, 20 – Julie Doyle (54’ 18 – Simone Charley), 10 – Marta (C)
Unused substitutes: 40 – McKinley Crone (GK); 8 – Luana, 14 – Viviana Villacorta, 28 – Summer Yates, 34 – Zara Chavoshi, 35 – Simone Jackson
Head coach: Seb Hines
Stats Summary
GFC / ORL
Expected Goals: 0.17 / 1.15
Shots: 5 / 11
Shots on Goal: 1 / 2
Saves: 2 / 0
Corners: 4 / 4
Fouls: 12 / 9
Offside: 4 / 3
Misconduct Summary
Gotham FC
35’ - Emily Sonnett (Yellow Card - Tactical Foul)
40’ - Bruninha (Yellow Card - Reckless Offense)
Orlando Pride
80’ - Emily Sams (Yellow Card - Tactical Foul)
Officials
Referee: Alyssa Pennington
Assistant Referee 1: Jennifer Garner
Assistant Referee 2: Tiffini Turpin
4th Official: Elvis Osmanovic
VAR: Jaclyn Metz
AVAR: Brian Marshall
Key Quotes
HEAD COACH JUAN CARLOS AMORÓS
On reaching the NWSL Championship
Very special day for the club, for the players, for the staff, for the fans who are the reason why we do this job. I think it's been an incredibly demanding season for us – playing more than everyone, traveling more than everyone, going through a lot of things that were costing us a little bit of the consistency.
But seeing how the team absolutely left everything they had out there today to make sure that defensively we were strong – sometimes we weren't perfect in the first phases, but we were amazing in the box defending, and that never-give-up mentality kept going till the end, till the final result, with that Gotham DNA that we had.
I am incredibly proud of everyone to achieve this.
MIDFIELDER JAEDYN SHAW
On being with Gotham FC and reflecting on this year
It's always fun to look back on the year, and I think the amount of adversity that I faced early on in the year has shaped me into what you're seeing in the present day. I think just being able to ride the waves of what it is to have a career or have a journey in this career – there’s been so much, it's hard to summarize.
But looking back, I'm grateful for all of the highs and lows. Being at the [North Carolina] Courage has taught me so much. Being at [San Diego] Wave has taught me so much. And being now at Gotham, I feel like I'm learning so much every single day and becoming a better player. I feel like they get the best out of me.
I think being present is the thing that's keeping me steady – just enjoying these moments. I've never gotten this far in the NWSL, so just enjoying this moment and playing for my team. Like I've said before, I love this team so much. I haven't been here very long, but I feel like these are genuinely my sisters.
I'm honestly having fun with it. This team is so easy to go out and give your all for. I'm grateful to be here now in this present day with Gotham.
DEFENDER MANDY FREEMAN
On reaching the NWSL Championship as the lowest seed yet again
This team is no stranger to adversity, and we're really good at rising to the occasion. The more people doubt us is just greater motivation to prove them wrong.
No matter what seed we place, I think regardless of our opponent, we go into every game knowing that with the talent we have, we should be winning every single game. There’s never a doubt within the group about whether or not we're going to win – it's just how we're going to get the job done.
Sometimes it's not going to look pretty, but we've had a long season of going through different adversities, and we're really good at facing those battles.
