Gotham FC returned home to Sports Illustrated Stadium following the international break with a statement 3-1 win against the North Carolina Courage. It was a night of triumph for the Bats with 3 goals and Midge Purce’s long-awaited return to the pitch after a nasty ACL last March left her sidelined for over a year.
It was a much-needed win after a shaky start to the season with two draws away and a home opener loss. Back-to-back goals from Esther González and a first NWSL goal from rookie Lilly Reale were enough for Gotham to earn the win early and set the tone for what is expected of Gotham FC this season.
While it took a good bit of the first half for Gotham to find their footing, the team pulled together to put out a sharp, energized performance that could see them in a title-contending campaign.
Gotham FC: 21 shots, 8 shots on target, 51% possession, 444 passes, 80% pass accuracy, 10 fouls, 3 saves
North Carolina Courage: 9 shots, 4 shots on target, 49% possession, 428 passes, 81% pass accuracy, 10 fouls, 5 saves
Goals:
• Gotham FC, Esther González, 43'
• Gotham FC, Esther González, 45+4'
• Gotham FC, Lilly Reale, 46'
• North Carolina Courage, Brianna Pinto, 90+4
Attendance: 7,115
Esther does it again
González reminded everyone why she’s one of the most dangerous strikers in the league.
The Spanish international opened the scoring in the 43rd minute after a clean pass from Ella Stevens, slotting it past Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy with a precise header. Just before the end of stoppage time, she doubled the lead after a one-on-one battle with Murphy, who was attempting to roll the ball when González intercepted. Murphy managed to save one of González' attempts, but she was no match for the forward as González powered through to shoot her second attempt past her.
"Esther's soccer IQ is one of the highest in the planet if not the highest," said Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. "Her brain is one of the quickest. The way she reads the game, the way she understands the work on the ball, the work off the ball, and the movement in the box, I think is amazing."
The two successive goals before halftime gave Gotham all the momentum, and they continued to ride that high well into the second half.
Second half success
The second half of the match saw a more energized Gotham step onto the pitch, which Reale quickly capitalized on a minute into the half. Bruninha, who came in for Ella Stevens at the beginning of the half, managed a hit off a corner kick, which Reale knocked back into the net with the second header of the match.
The former UCLA Bruin made her NWSL debut in Gotham's season opener away against Seattle Reign FC, where she subbed in for Mandy Freeman at the 90th-minute mark. Her first professional start in Gotham's first home match against the Orlando Pride was dampened by an own goal in the 2-0 loss, but she turned the page today with a decisive first professional goal.
"It was kind of just a right place, right time situation," said Reale. "Really proud of the group. We've been working on attack all week. So to get the three goals, and we had some quality attacks out there we also could have scored on, was just a positive result overall."
Lilly Reale scores for Gotham FC | Courtesy Gotham FC
A late reply from Courage
Despite the odds of a comeback from the Courage after Reale's goal, the team refused to throw in the towel. North Carolina managed to pull one back in stoppage time thanks to midfielder Brianna Pinto, who finished off a low cross from Meredith Speck with a left-footed strike in stoppage time. It wasn't enough for the Courage, who seemed to lose their offensive spirit in the second half.
It appeared the Courage would be the ones to strike first if their offensive push in the first half was any indication. Gotham had a sluggish start, struggling to make passes between a sturdy Courage back line while overshooting passes that the Courage took advantage of. The Courage immediately went into the attack, pushing Gotham back and making shots once the ball was in possession.
"There are a lot of new players this year, myself included," said Reale. "So I think it just took a little bit to get that chemistry the first couple games. Now that we've kind of opened the floodgates, I think there's nothing we can't do."
Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the team's saving grace in those crucial minutes. She stopped a shot on target while blocking crucial corners, disrupting additional scoring chances. Berger now has the second-most wins ever recorded by a goalkeeper in the club's history, with a total of 17 wins.
The moment everyone was waiting for
After over a year on the sidelines, Midge Purce is officially back.
In the 73rd minute, the 2023 NWSL Championship MVP made her long-awaited return to league action, stepping onto the pitch to a roar of applause from the 7,000-plus fans in attendance. It marked her first competitive appearance since March 2024, when she suffered a devastating ACL tear during the first half of Gotham FC's win over the Portland Thorns.
"It felt good," Purce said about her return. "It felt really good mostly actually to be with the team again, especially coming into a three-zero win. I'm just really grateful for how supportive everyone has been, and they made the debut a really special day."
The injury left her out of contention for the rest of the season as well as the chance to join the USWNT at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and there were questions about whether or not she would return to Gotham. However, Purce reaffirmed her commitment to Gotham as she re-signed with the club on a one-year deal in February. Amorós' announcement that she would be available to substitute ahead of today's matchup only fueled the anticipation of her return to the team.
Purce was joined by Geyse, who made her Gotham FC debut coming on for Gabi Portilho. Both players immediately took to the field, with Purce winning a free kick and Geyse attempting several shots, a majority of which were on target.
"Its something to build off of," Purce said on today's result. "I think its a good start. We're gonna build off of it because we all know there's a lot we could have done better in that game as well, and I think that's the most exciting part."
