SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Rose Lavelle scored in the 80th minute and the eighth-seeded Gotham FC beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 on Saturday night to win their second National Women’s Soccer League championship. Second-half substitute Bruninha drove into the box on the left wing and sent the ball across to Lavelle, whose left-footed shot sailed past Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury into the bottom corner of the net. It is the first NWSL championship title for Lavelle, who had scored in the 2023 final when she was playing for the Seattle Reign against Gotham in a 2-1 loss. After a strong opening 10 minutes of the match for Gotham, with three shots from Jaedyn Shaw, the final began to mature into a tense affair. There were few chances and the best of the first half came when Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt perfectly timed a slide tackle and cleaned out Midge Purce with the follow through. Not long after the half, Trinity Rodman was brought off the Spirit bench for Sofia Cantore, bringing the crowd to its feet. The U. S. women’s national team star was on limited minutes after suffering a knee sprain in October. Even with the introduction of Rodman, the Spirit continued to struggle to create chances. They had marginally more control of the ball, 53%, but were outshot by Gotham 12-6 and finished the game without a single shot on target. Rodman had zero shots and zero chances created. The second-seeded Spirit (14-6-8) suffered a second consecutive defeat in the NWSL final, having lost last year to the Orlando Pride in Kansas City, Missouri. The Spirit reached this year’s final by overcoming Racing Louisville 3-1 in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals and then beating the Portland Thorns 2-0 in the semifinals. Gotham (11-8-9) had defied the odds to make the final, going on the road twice to defeat the top-seeded Kansas City Current 2-1 in the quarterfinal and the defending champions the Pride, 1-0. Gotham are the first eighth-seed to win the NWSL Championship. In 2023, when there were only six playoff spots, Gotham became the first sixth seed to lift the trophy. Head coach Juan Carlos Amoros has seven NWSL playoff wins in his career and two championships. ___ AP soccer:.
https://mymotherlode.com/sports/soccer-general-news/10221348/lavelles-goal-leads-gotham-over-spirit-1-0-for-nwsl-championship.html
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Trinity Rodman focused on fight for NWSL title as departure rumors swirl
SAN JOSE, Calif. Spirit star forward Trinity Rodman on Thursday did her best to shut down speculation regarding her NWSL future as she tries to remain laser focused on Saturday’s championship match against Gotham FC. Rodman reportedly has received several lucrative international offers from top European clubs, but she said “no decisions” have been made regarding her impending free agency. She said it hasn’t even crossed her mind that Saturday’s game potentially could be her last in the NWSL. “I’m not there at all,” Rodman said. “There could be conversations being had, but right now I am so excited to be representing the Spirit. I’m not even thinking of when my last game will be. But yeah, I just want to win it and we’ll see.” Rodman is at the center of what could be a pivotal moment in league history as the NWSL’s salary cap restraints could result in an exodus of star players leaving for better compensation elsewhere. The Athletic reported that DC Power, of the Gainbridge Super League, presented Rodman with a “significantly larger” contract than what the Spirit or NWSL can compete against under the current salary cap restrictions. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman was peppered with salary cap-related questions during her hourlong press conference. She said the league’s salary cap had “almost quadrupled” over the past four seasons as the league’s popularity and revenue streams grew. But she didn’t seem to entertain the idea of softening the NWSL’s current hard cap, which was set at $3. 5 million per club this season. “It’s hard to say” whether the salary cap was an appropriate mechanism for the NWSL at this time, according to Rodman. “In women’s sports, there’s always this fight for equal pay, to get paid more for the work that we do,” Rodman said. “But again, I’m 23 years old. I’m not going to try to completely change the league and fix that. But at the same time, yeah, we’re always going to push and strive for more.” Still, Berman remains steadfast about keeping Rodman in the league. “We want Trinity in the NWSL, and we will fight for her,” Berman said. “And we are excited to see her compete in the championship on Saturday.” Rodman, 23, was flattered by Berman’s comments and has been happy since starting her professional career in the NWSL in 2021. “But at the same time, like, I don’t want to put that pressure on myself of because she said that now, I’m like, ‘Oh, shoot, I’m trapped,’ ” Rodman said. “Again, I’m focused on this weekend, and that’s really all I can focus on. And then moving forward, then that’s when I really have those conversations and tough calls that I need to have.” Berman signed a multi-year contract extension to keep her in charge of ushering the league into its next era of growth, the NWSL announced Thursday. Berman took over as NWSL commissioner in 2022 and under her watch the league has checked off many major milestones, including a new collective bargaining agreement, league expansion and skyrocketing club valuations. “Jessica’s leadership has been instrumental in transforming the NWSL into a global sports property,” Gotham FC owner and NWSL executive committee chair Carolyn Tisch Blodget said in a statement. “Her vision for sustainable growth, along with her ability to fuel enduring momentum, has positioned the league for long-term success.” Berman now is under contract through the 2028 season, the Equalizer reported.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/20/sports/trinity-rodman-focused-on-fight-for-nwsl-title-as-departure-rumors-swirl/