Rose Lavelle left Gotham FC's road draw at Angel City FC on Sunday following a first-half collision at BMO Stadium. The USWNT midfielder went down in the 37th minute after contact with an Angel City defender, as the subsequent scoreless draw saw Gotham maintain its spot atop the NWSL standings.
She stayed down for several minutes before walking to the locker room. Teammate Mandy Freeman replaced her under the league's concussion protocol.
Gotham FC Log Chances Despite Rose Lavelle Injury Exit
Even without Lavelle, Gotham nearly stole all three points late. Guro Reiten stepped to the penalty spot in the 87th minute, but goalkeeper Angelina Anderson turned her effort away. Then marquee 2026 signing Sam Kerr's long-range strike crashed off the crossbar in the 90th.
"It's not ideal when players go down early in the game, and obviously, Rose is a key part of our team," acting head coach Shaun Harris said.
How the Gotham vs Angel City FC Result Impacts the NWSL Standings
Still, the point stretched Gotham's lead atop the NWSL standings to seven over both the Portland Thorns and Washington Spirit. Both second-place teams are tied at 37 points.
At 13-3-5 with 44 points, Gotham's nine-match unbeaten run ties a franchise record. Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger also added her 10th clean sheet of the season.
Gotham has not disclosed the severity of Lavelle's injury beyond confirming she is still being evaluated.
