Gotham FC advances to Champions Cup semifinals after draw with Washington Spirit

It was not always pretty, and it was also the first time they had dropped points in CONCACAF W Champions Cup play this season, but NJ/NY Gotham FC has advanced to next spring's semifinals thanks to a 0-0 draw with the Washington Spirit. This means that the NJ/NY side has now advanced past the group stage in both iterations of the tournament, with the previous edition of the tournament, of course, seeing them go on to win the inaugural W Champions Cup.

Truthfully, this was close to a best-case scenario for Gotham. They probably did enough to win, but they come away knowing that they have advanced and won't have to sweat out results in other matches. They also get some more minutes for other players who haven't seen as much action in league play, with a lot of them, mainly Sofia Cook and Shelby Hogan, having played very well.

Meanwhile, Washington controls their own destiny, as a win in their next match two weeks from now will guarantee their spot alongside Gotham as the two teams advancing from Group B. Additionally, the D.C. team could secure first place in the group.

Both teams come out of this one feeling some level of satisfaction while also feeling like they may have left something on the table. Ultimately, it was an enjoyable game and potentially a preview of what's to come in the latter stages of the NWSL playoffs.

Gotham FC is through to the semifinals

With the rotated lineup, Gotham FC came out in a slightly different shape than usual. Normally, the team is in a 3-4-3 formation in possession, but today it looked more like a 3-5-2. Sarah Schupansky played in the midfield with Katie Stengel and Khyah Harper forming the partnership up top. There were times, though, that Schupansky was given license to move forward and play at left wing, which turned the front two into a front three with Harper taking up the right wing position.

The match started pretty evenly, with both teams having some opportunities in the opening 15-20 minutes, but none of them were overly dangerous. The first real chance came in the 27th minute when Gift Monday, fresh off a hat-trick on Sunday, got on the end of a great over-the-top through ball from Sofia Cantore and got off a shot on Hogan. Hogan managed a save before Lilly Reale managed to clear the ball for a corner, averting further danger for Gotham.

The Bats had their best chances of the half come in stoppage time when, first, a bouncing ball in the box made its way to Cook, who got off a great shot that was blocked by Spirit defender Gabby Carle. Just one minute later, Stengel, who had looked lively in the first 45 minutes, got on the end of a cross from Mandy Freeman and shot point-blank at Spirit goalkeeper Sandy MacIver. Unfortunately, the shot was right at MacIver, and she managed to make the save just seconds before the halftime whistle blew.

Both teams came out with great chances immediately after halftime. First, Stengel got on the end of a Jaelin Howell cross and got off another shot right in front of MacIver that was again saved. Then, at the other end, Monday played a looping flick pass to Cantore, with the Italian unleashing a powerful volley on the edge of the box that Hogan did brilliantly to get down and save.

Subsequently, there was chaos in the Spirit 18-yard box as Harper was closed down by MacIver, but the rookie forward managed a cross that had the Spirit keeper far out of goal. The ball then found Cook, who crossed to Hasbo, whose shot hit the post. The ball rebounded to Schupansky, whose backheel attempt was blocked off the line, then cleared away to keep the game scoreless. This was then quickly followed up by a Howell long-ranger that just went over the net.

The half calmed down from that point on as both teams began to settle into a rhythm that seemed to nullify each other enough that neither got off too many dangerous chances. The game from then on did not look like a formality for either side, with a win, loss, or draw all being on the cards as both teams were able to create and defend.

Ultimately, the match ended 0-0. The draw means Gotham is through to the next round, but whether they win the group is still up in the air. While the Bats have finished their group stage matches, there is still another round of games. In two weeks, Washington will play C.F. Monterrey Femenil, which will not only decide where Gotham FC ends up in the group, but most likely which of those two teams will join them.