Gotham FC dominated Houston in every facet of Sunday’s matchup at Sports Illustrated Stadium but left frustrated by a 2-1 loss that featured a two-hour weather delay and a last-gasp winner from the Dash.
The hosts outshot Houston, 15-2; had 35 touches in the opposition box to Houston’s 10; and finished the game with 1.16 expected goals to Houston’s 0.11. Gotham FC (5-6-5, 20 points) also registered six corners to Houston’s zero and made two-thirds of the final third entries in the game, with Esther González scoring her 11th goal of the campaign to reclaim the lead in the NWSL’s golden boot race.
It was Houston forward Michelle Alozie’s shot in the third minute of stoppage time that stood as the difference, snapping Gotham’s 31-match unbeaten run when leading at halftime, a stretch that links back four years to the 2021 campaign.
“The team did everything they needed to do to win the game apart from score those goals, and football today was a little bit cruel with us,” Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós said. “I don't know if I can remember a game that we dominated so much, had so many chances or had so many shots – it's just a little bit difficult to take.”
Gotham FC still remains in eighth place – the last playoff spot – after the loss, holding a positive goal differential as the tiebreaker with ninth-place North Carolina. But the defeat pushed Houston (5-8-3, 18 points) back into the race, just two points back.
González had Gotham firing early, moving within six goals of the club’s all-time scoring lead when she slotted home Gabi Portilho’s pass for her 11th goal of the campaign and 22nd in her time with the club. It was Portilho’s third assist of the season in her first start since April 26 – the Brazilian forward missed all of May and June with a hip injury before returning to action on Aug. 9 as a sub.
A Gotham own goal in the 51st minute drew Houston level, but after the weather delay in the 63rd minute, Gotham put on significant pressure, chasing the lead with seven shots to Houston’s none past the 90th minute and deep into stoppage time. That’s when Alozie’s strike, against the run of play, stunned the remaining crowd.
Gotham FC now unplugs from NWSL play and shifts its focus to the Concacaf W Champions Cup, opening its group stage campaign against CF Monterrey Femenil at historic Icahn Stadium in Manhattan. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, with coverage available on Paramount+.
Key Match Points
- Forward Esther González reclaimed the NWSL Golden Boot lead with her 11th goal of the season, putting Gotham FC ahead early.
- González has scored nine first-half goals this season, including three within the first 10 minutes.
- Defender Mandy Freeman made her club-record 107th regular-season appearance, passing Sarah Woldmoe.
- It was also her 86th career start, passing Christie Pearce (Rampone) for third-most in Gotham FC history.
- Forward Gabi Portilho tallied her third assist of the season, setting up González for Gotham’s opening goal.
- This was Portilho’s first start since April 26 vs. the Washington Spirit.
- Gotham limited Houston to just two shots throughout the entire match, tying a club record for fewest shots on target.
- Forward Katie Stengel made her first NWSL start since September 8, 2024, also against Houston.
Gotham FC vs Houston Dash
Sunday, August 17, 2025
4 p.m. ET kickoff
Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, New Jersey
Attendance: 7,519
Weather: 92 degrees, cloudy
Gotham FC (1, 0 – 1)
Houston Dash (0, 2 – 2)
Goal Summary:
Gotham FC
8’ - Esther González (Gabi Portilho)
Houston Dash
51’ - Emily Sonnett (OG)
90 + 3’ - Michelle Alozie (Sarah Puntigam)
Gotham FC (4-3-3): 30 – Ann-Katrin Berger (GK); 22 – Mandy Freeman (C) (88’ 19 – Kayla Duran), 6 – Emily Sonnett, 27 – Jess Carter, 4 – Lilly Reale; 7 – Jaelin Howell, 11 – Sarah Schupansky (77’ 8 – Taryn Torres), 16 – Rose Lavelle (63’ 21 – Sofia Cook); 18 – Gabi Portilho (88’ 3 – Bruninha), 9 – Esther González, 28 – Katie Stengel (63’ 34 – Khyah Harper)
Unused substitutes: 1 – Shelby Hogan (GK), 5 – Josefine Hasbo, 14 – Nealy Martin, 17 – Mak Whitham
Head coach: Juan Carlos Amorós
Houston Dash (4-4-2): 1 – Jane Campbell (GK, C); 15 – Avery Patterson, 4 – Natalie Jacobs, 14 – Paige Nielsen, 2 – Allysha Chapman (84’ 22 – Michelle Alozie); 12 – Kiki Van Zanten, 24 – Danielle Colaprico (88’ 13 – Sophie Schmidt), 23 – Maggie Graham, 8 – Delanie Sheehan (88’ 17 – Sarah Puntigam); 11 – Yazmeen Ryan, 7 – Evelina Duljan (46’ 6 – Messiah Bright)
Unused substitutes: 35 - Abby Smith (GK); 9 – Clarissa Larisey, 19 – Belle Briede, 20 – Christen Westphal, 25 – Katie Lind
Head coach: Fabrice Gautrat
Stats Summary
GFC / HOU
Expected Goals: 1.19 / 0.11
Shots: 15 / 2
Shots on Goal: 5 / 1
Saves: 0 / 4
Corners: 6 / 0
Fouls: 14 / 21
Offside: 0 / 2
Misconduct Summary:
Houston Dash
72’ - 2 – Allysha Chapman (Yellow Card - Reckless Challenge)
Officials
Referee: Elijio Arreguin
Assistant Referee 1: Art Arustamyan
Assistant Referee 2: Amilcar Sicaju
4th Official: Kyle Averill
VAR: Abdou Ndiaye
AVAR: Karsten Gillwald
Key Quotes
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.
MIDFIELDER SARAH SCHUPANSKY
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.
DEFENDER JESS CARTER
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.
