3 things we learned as Gotham FC outperformed Seattle Reign in the win

NJ/NY Gotham FC had a late start for those on the East Coast. The Bats traveled all the way to Washington to play Seattle Reign FC. The two sides shared the points in both matches last season, so the visitors were eager to leave with all three points. They eventually did, beating the Reign 2-0 on Friday in what was a solid performance.

They also did it without Juan Carlos Amorós. The Gotham FC head coach stayed home, for his second child was recently born. Congratulations are in order for him, and his entire family, and his team gave him a great gift by winning before the Bats head down to Mexico for the CONCACAF W Champions Cup, where they will play the final two matches in the 2025-2026 edition of the tournament.

But how did Gotham secure the win? The 57% of possession helped them defensively, for it gave Seattle less time in the attack. Moreover, the makeshift backline continued to work, for Ann-Katrin Berger had little pressure to deal with. She had three saves, but still had little work to do. Oh, and Jaedyn Shaw and Tierna Davidson found the back of the net.

Again, this was a solid win. Here are three things we learned from Gotham FC’s game with the Seattle Reign.

Jordynn Dudley reminded fans that she is a rookie

If one watched Jordynn Dudley throughout the game, then they would have seen the young player struggle and shine. She lost the ball way too easily, especially in the first half. At times, being relieved of possession made Gotham FC vulnerable. Some of her passes were also poor, for she completely missed her teammates.

However, Dudley also reminded everyone why she was wanted as a rookie signing. The forward’s tricky feet enabled her to move around and through Seattle players. That ability led to the first goal for the Bats. She found Savannah McCaskill in the box, but the midfielder failed to hit the ball properly towards the goal. As such, her miss became a gain for Shaw, who scored her fourth goal of the NWSL season.

In addition, Dudley improved in the second half. Her passes were more concrete, and she was more threatening in the final third. So fans saw some great moments from the rookie, but also some not-so-great moments. The match acted as a reminder that she will not be the best of the best right away. There is no question that the potential is there, but there were probably plenty of teaching moments to go over after the game.

Tierna Davidson scored her first regular-season goal for Gotham FC

One of the best players on the night was Davidson. She was her usual amazing defensive self. Some of her plays were vital to Berger’s clean sheet, including the times she poked the ball away near or in the box. Her partnership with Jess Carter was on point, and the same goes for when Emily Sonnett came on.

However, the big moment for the center-back came in the second half. In the 57th minute, Davidson finally scored her first goal for Gotham in the regular season. This was her second overall for the club.

The NJ/NY side had a corner kick, and Guro Reiten sent the ball into the box. Eventually, it arrived at the feet of Sofia Cook, and her strike from the edge of the box was not the best. However, the ball landed at the feet of Davidson, who was in front of the goal. With one kick, she fired the ball in to secure a 2-0 lead.

The powerful shot really brought everything back home for the defender. She missed most of last season due to the ACL tear and has struggled with injury during her career. She is so close to being the top defender that she was for Gotham in 2024, and this goal was great to see. The rare moment will definitely be a highlight this season.

Gotham FC could end as the best defensive team

As mentioned earlier, the backline for Gotham and Berger got the job done in the defense. There were a few times that any mistake would have led to a goal for Seattle. Thankfully, the defense is one of the best in the NWSL.

Hence, the Bats are on their way to being one of the top defensive teams in the league. This was the seventh shutout and Berger’s seventh clean sheet, and keep in mind that ten matches have been played. If this continues at the same rate, adding a few more losses due to a probable difficult stretch again later in the year, then the team is on pace to have 20 to 24 shutouts.

Meanwhile, Gotham FC is in first place for the fewest goals allowed, for only five have gone into the goal. That means they are the best defensive team right now. And while it is early, they could be the best defensive team by the end of 2026.

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