Gotham grabs No. 1 in ESPN’s NWSL rankings after wild four-day surge
NJ/NY Gotham FC jumped past Washington Spirit in ESPN’s NWSL Power Rankings after beating the Spirit and rallying late against Seattle.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
NJ/NY Gotham FC have vaulted to the top of ESPN’s latest NWSL Power Rankings after a four-day burst that included a win over Washington Spirit and a late comeback that flipped a two-goal hole into a 3-2 victory over Seattle Reign.
ESPN placed Gotham at No. 1 after Matchday 13, moving the reigning NWSL champions up from second. Washington, which had held the top spot in the rankings, slipped to No. 2 despite finishing the weekend first in the league table, according to ESPN.
Gotham’s week started with a 1-0 victory over Washington on Wednesday in front of 42,175 fans, which ESPN reported as a record crowd. The bigger swing came against Seattle, where Juan Carlos Amorós’ side trailed 2-0 before scoring three times late to win 3-2.
According to ESPN, Gotham had not scored after the 55th minute all season before Saturday. Against Seattle, the club scored three times in the final nine minutes plus stoppage time, with Rose Lavelle delivering the winner. ESPN also credited Lavelle with the decisive goal in the midweek win over Washington.
ESPN reported that Esther González and Jaedyn Shaw helped spark Gotham’s attack off the bench, while Sam Kerr assisted Lavelle’s winner against Seattle. It was Gotham’s first victory from a two-goal deficit in nine years, according to ESPN, which noted Kerr also appeared in that earlier match for then-Sky Blue FC.
Spirit stay high, but lose top ranking
Washington’s week was split. The Spirit lost 1-0 to Gotham in midweek, then beat Boston Legacy 2-1 on Sunday. ESPN reported that head coach Adrián González made seven changes for the Boston match.
Tara Rudd scored her first regular-season goal in more than two years, according to ESPN, and Trinity Rodman added her seventh goal of the season. Boston cut the lead in the 88th minute through Sammy Smith, but Washington held on for its fourth road win of the season.
Gotham’s next match is at Portland Thorns on Friday at 10 p.m. ET, while Washington hosts Denver Summit on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.
San Diego, Utah and Kansas City round out the top five
San Diego Wave stayed third in ESPN’s rankings after a 2-2 draw at Kansas City. ESPN highlighted Trinity Byars’ first professional brace, including a stoppage-time equalizer in her first 90-minute performance.
Utah Royals rose to fourth after a 1-0 home win over Orlando Pride. ESPN credited Utah’s back line and goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn in a match where Orlando did not put a shot on target.
Kansas City climbed to fifth despite conceding late in the draw with San Diego. ESPN reported that Croix Bethune scored and assisted Temwa Chawinga, giving Bethune a league-leading six assists.
Big movers in the chase
Angel City moved up to sixth after a third straight 2-0 win, this time over Chicago Stars. ESPN reported it was the first time in club history Angel City had kept three clean sheets in three consecutive games.
Portland fell to seventh after a 2-1 loss to Denver, its second straight defeat. ESPN reported the Thorns have now dropped 13 points from winning positions this season, more than any other NWSL team.
Denver jumped to eighth after beating Portland 2-1 in the opening of Centennial Stadium before a capacity crowd, according to ESPN. Bay FC rose to ninth after a 3-0 win over North Carolina, while the Courage dropped to 10th.
ESPN’s bottom six were Boston Legacy, Orlando Pride, Seattle Reign, Houston Dash, Chicago Stars and Racing Louisville, with Louisville remaining 16th after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Houston.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.