As the hours count down till the first ever home playoff match for the ladies of Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena.
Head Coach Juan Carlos Amoros and the ladies are hard at work preparing for the slate to be cleaned up and a whole new season to start.
There is the saying that anything can happen during the Playoffs and the ladies of Gotham FC are all ready for that next challenge.
Heading into the playoffs against Portland, Gotham FC finished the regular season with four consecutive victories…first ever time for the team in hosting a playoff game.
The good news is that the team has a ton of experience and championship pedigree on their side and that is something that Coach Amoros spoke of during the team’s media zoom session held on Friday afternoon. “We are people of experience and the more you experience you something the better you get with things.” He continued to say, “At the end of the day it is important to have the experience along with having team chemistry and bringing and executing the game plan is something that is going to be helpful with going up against Portland.”
Another highlight is the fact that the ladies wrapped up regular season with a 4-1 victory against Utah with Yazmeen Ryan leading the way in scoring. Also playing a huge factor was Forward Esther as she tallied a second half brace.
With the moments ticking away till a historical day for the franchise in being able to host, Coach Juan spoke on the significance of the occasion saying, “It is very significant…a historic moment for the club and the ladies are working hard for this. The ladies are hoping to have more than one and it is an exciting thing to have the team in the playoffs.”
The 2024 season is one that is filled with memorable moments for the team as one of the interesting facts from the Gotham FC PR department is the fact that the team had 56 points and set a new record for most points in a regular season with the previous high being 36 points in the 2013 season.
Also playing a huge role in the team’s success is the defensive play and the play of Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, as she spoke on being a part of the NWSL Playoff format, “I am excited about the playoffs. The whole journey for me thus far is getting used to the NWSL and I very much like being a part of the playoffs.”
For when it comes time for being a part of playing in front of a home crowd Katrin Berger had this to say,
“Every team I am a part of played in front of the home crowd for playoffs and to do so with Gotham FC is something that is nice and I am excited to be a part of it.” The goalkeeper continued by saying, “We worked hard to get the home game, and we hope that this is something that can extend to seasons beyond and hopefully get a chance to even host the championships at Red Bull Arena.”
The defensive theme is something that Coach Juan reflected on as well as he said this about the quality of soccer the team puts on the field, “What we put on the pitch is something we worked on the whole year. If I were to describe the style of play the word quality is something that comes into mind when it comes time for a word to describe the team. We are also looking for a collective team effort defensviely…. everyone has got to be committed to defense.”
Also, a positive heading into the playoffs there are a ton of positives on the side of Gotham FC has two players in the top ten in goal scored in the NWSL including Esther and Rose Lavelle.
Esther is the 11th Gotham FC player to reach the double-digit career goal in the regular season while also setting a club record with her third career brace.
Getting her first ever playing minutes with the USWNT Yazmeen Ryan is becoming a player to watch for, as during regular season she had 51 chances created which is the most of any player in the NWSL.
There is going to be a ton of excitement and nerves as the countdown is on for the Herstorical day at Red Bull Arena and the first ever match between the ladies and Portland. The match to be played at 3:00 p.m. and airing on the ABC network.
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