3 things we learned as Gotham FC beat Seattle Reign in the quarterfinals

NJ/NY Gotham FC is still hungry. After winning the NWSL Shield last week on Decision Day, the Bats are still looking to add to their 2026 trophy cabinet. The goal is to have won the NWSL Challenge Cup, the Shield, and the NWSL Championship. So, they began the NWSL Playoffs on Sunday, also seeking to win back-to-back championships. To do that, they first had to beat Seattle Reign FC.

Somehow, Gotham FC did just that, winning 1-0 in the quarterfinals to ensure at least one more game this year. It was not pretty, and arguably a terrible offensive performance that would see most playoff teams not win.

However, an early own goal was enough to do the job. Jaedyn Shaw’s shot deflected off Jordyn Bugg, and the young center-back accidentally forced the ball into the back of the net. The terrible blunder for the visitors was a gift to the home side, since that was the only goal.

Next up, the semifinals are on the horizon. But before then, here are three things we learned from Gotham FC’s win against the Reign.

Gotham FC’s offensive disaster

So, it was not the greatest game for the NJ/NY side. There were points where the game was dull, lackluster, and kind of boring. But the biggest issue for Gotham FC was the offense.

The Bats only had five shots throughout the entire match. They were barely threatening in the attack. Seattle’s defense was decent, but they really did not need to do much to keep the Shield winners out of the goal. Rather, Gotham failed to register a shot on target and only had five shots total.

That is not a good thing, and the NJ/NY team was entirely lucky that the Reign did not score. In other games, this fortune likely would not have worked out for them. The defense got the job done, but still, the performance left so much to be desired. It also makes it easy to worry when they play the Kansas City Current in the semifinals. Sure, defense won the NWSL Championship last year, but they still have to score.

Ann-Katrin Berger was the MVP

Speaking about the defense, Ann-Katrin Berger was the hero and MVP in the game. Without her talent and ability to make insane saves, Gotham FC would have gone home. The German international’s three saves and intelligent work in the box were critical to the win.

Take the save in the 51st minute. Mia Fishel had an incredible shot toward the top of the net. Berger had to move from the center to her right before she jumped and extended her arms to force the ball away from the goal. That shot was clearly going into the back of the net, and the goalkeeper’s athleticism and technique ultimately kept the Reign from scoring.

Every save that she made was not easy. But Berger always steps up, especially in big games. Gotham is lucky to have her, and hopefully, she will sign a new contract once the season ends.

Gotham FC deserves better

Entering the game, there was drama about where the semifinal match would take place if the NJ/NY team were to win. Scheduling depended on the Washington Spirit and whether the rival side would win their game. If Gotham was scheduled to play on Saturday, then they would have had to play at Icahn Stadium, which is a small venue. Sunday was a different story, but even then, the venue was not confirmed.

The reason for this issue was that the New York Red Bulls scheduled a friendly for next Saturday. The team did not want Gotham to play that day, even though the match would be at 12:00 PM and the friendly would take place in the evening. As such, the Major League Soccer side caused issues with the scheduling for the postseason.

Knowing that Gotham had a possible game and still scheduling a friendly is extremely low from RBNY. The Bats deserve better. No wonder they are moving to Etihad Park in 2028. The good news, though, is that the semifinals will be on Sunday.

The venue will be determined on Monday, but it should be at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Alas, the bad pitch might lead the team to move elsewhere. Complaints about the field condition, especially from Seattle's head coach, Laura Harvey, echoed after the match. Even Juan Carlos Amorós apologized for the awful condition. And everyone had a right, as the teams both had to play on the awful pitch. Still, it would be terrible if the game were moved to Icahn Stadium.

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