Gotham FC blunts losing streak in home finale against Portland Thorns

NJ/NY Gotham FC ended their trying 2022 campaign on a high, playing to a 3-3 draw against the Portland Thorns Saturday at Red Bull Arena.

The tie halted Gotham FC’s 12-game losing streak and five-game scoreless streak, with the club logging its first draw of the regular season.

The Portland Thorns entered Saturday’s matchup needing a win to lock up the NWSL Shield as masters of their own destiny. Instead, the 3-3 tie opened the door for OL Reign to clinch the league title, with the Seattle club registering a 3-0 shutout over the Orlando Pride to steal the NWSL Shield away from the Thorns.

“It’s definitely a painful one right now,” Portland Thorns head coach Rhian Wilkinson told reporters after the game. “I think Gotham came out to deliver a performance to put a full stop on a very challenging season. I thought it was really one of our weaker games all season, which is the frustration. I’ve asked the team to stick together through this. We got a tie and we secured a semifinal spot.”

Sophia Smith served as a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating Portland result, with the star forward notching a brace to secure a club record for the most goals in the season at 14, one shy of Golden Boot leader Alex Morgan.

“It’s an honor,” Smith said of the feat. “I couldn’t do it without an amazing team and amazing coach behind me. This season has been a lot of fun, honestly. I haven’t been thinking too much about any awards or records or anything.”

In the last 2 minutes of the 1st half: @sophsssmith scores a brace and sets a @ThornsFC club record for goals scored in a single season‼️ pic.twitter.com/ykYQ2jAIcJ

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) October 2, 2022

Despite going down 2-1 at the break, Gotham FC was resilient, with Midge Purce leading the charge for her team’s attack, assisting on Ifeoma Onumonu’s goal in the 56th minute.

Purce’s dominant outing comes after being left off Vlatko Andonovski’s latest U.S. Women’s National Team roster due to a perceived “dip in form.”

“Midge Purce had a great game and caused a lot of problems. The whole team just did really well,” Portland’s Becky Sauerbrunn said. “We tried to match and we knew the Shield was potentially in our hands. Go up 3-1 and you give up two goals, you tie 3-3, it’s a bummer. It’s a tough game and feeling not so great about it right now.”

.@ify_on22 gets one back for @GothamFC pic.twitter.com/5M9nY9JgJh

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) October 2, 2022

Nahomi Kawasumi and McCall Zerboni rounded out scoring for Gotham FC, with Saturday marking the first three-goal game from the club since their May 1 opener against Orlando.

“No one celebrates on our field except for us,” Onumonu said of denying Portland the NWSL Shield. “That would have been honestly embarrassing, didn’t want that for us.”

The Thorns, while narrowly missing out on the Shield, clinched a No. 2 ranking and a first-round bye for the NWSL playoffs, which will be critical as players head out on international duty next week.

Portland will host their semifinal matchup at Providence Park on Oct. 23.