3 things we learned from Gotham FC's Champions Cup win against Alianza

On Tuesday, NJ/NY Gotham FC played their second CONCACAF W Champions Cup match of the group round against the El Salvador side Alianza Women FC.  The road fixture saw another heavily rotated squad but still had plenty of veteran presence, including Jess Carter and Mandy Freeman.  There were many players missing as well, like Ann-Katrin Berger and Rose Lavelle.

More goals were likely expected by the team and supporters.  But in the end, Gotham FC won 2-0.  The team was dominant in their play, but struggled to create threatening shots to score multiple goals.  Still, credit must be given to Alianza, for the home side still defended well.  They contributed to the score.

Nevertheless, Gotham got the job done thanks to Geyse and Kayla Duran.  Geyse scored midway through the second half via a penalty kick.  Then, Duran sealed the deal with a header from a corner kick in stoppage time.

As always, there is plenty to discuss.  Here are three things we learned from Gotham FC’s game against Alianza.

The first half should have been better for Gotham

Gotham FC dominated the game, maintaining about 73% of the possession and outshooting the home side 13 to three.  This was true for the first half. The Bats spent plenty of time in their opponent’s half and had six shots.  However, none were on target.  This is not what fans wanted to see in a match where the NJ/NY side was the heavy favorite to win.

Part of why they might have struggled in the attack could be related to Mak Whitham’s first start.  The 15-year-old played for the entire first half before coming off at halftime.  While it was incredible that she started at front and center, there is no question that she did struggle with a few bright moments. 

Additionally, fans must be reminded that Gotham has struggled to find the back of the net all year round.  Maybe if this was last year’s team, the first half would have been better.

Some of the changes made in the second half did help, and the Bats played better despite only scoring twice.  Overall, more goals should have been scored.  As such, it was somewhat frustrating to watch at times.

Mak Whitham made her first start

As mentioned, Whitham started her first competitive game for Gotham FC.  It was not perfect, and she struggled.  Again, it was good that she came off at halftime.

However, that does not take away the greatness that she started her first match at 15.  This proves that she has been doing enough in training to be given this opportunity by Juan Carlos Amorós.  It also highlights her development as a player and a professional. 

Of course, the coaching staff will want to be patient with Whitham and understand it will probably be a few more years before she can become a more impactful contributor.  They also need to sit down with her and explain where she went wrong during her time on the pitch.  That will aid in the educational aspect and enable her to grow more as a player.  Gotham is fortunate she has entrusted the team with her early years as a professional, and it is cool she can say she made her first professional start at 15.

Gotham FC’s passes and service impacted the attack

By the final whistle, Gotham FC had 13 shots with two on target.  Thankfully, the two on target resulted in goals.  Also, they spent so much time in and around Alianza’s box and created attacking opportunities.

So, why did the NJ/NY side only score twice?  The answer lies with the passes and services into the final third.  There were so many poor passes that went past the Gotham players.  If they did receive the ball, then sometimes they were closed down by the home team or lost the ball.

The service was also poor, especially from the wings.  Too often, the ball would fly over everyone or not meet anyone in the box.

Unquestionably, the Bats would have scored more goals if the accuracy had been better in the final third.  They did score on both shots on target, so the magic that would have seen them run away with this match was to have more shots on goal.  Gotham FC would have benefited from a higher score, especially down the road when it comes to goal differential in the standings.