Gotham FC Earns First-Ever Road Win at San Diego

Jaedyn Shaw scored in her club debut and Esther González reclaimed the lead in the NWSL Golden Boot race in a 2-0 win on Friday night at San Diego that moved Gotham FC into third place in the league standings.

Just two weeks ago, Gotham FC (8-6-6, 30 points) sat right on the playoff line, battling with a handful of teams for a spot in the NWSL’s eight-team postseason picture. But three straight wins – including two on the road, the other being against the reigning champion Orlando Pride – have reconfigured Gotham’s outlook with six matches left in the regular season.

“This is a very important win for us away from home and another clean sheet,” said Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós. “San Diego is a great team, and it’s always a difficult place to play. They control the ball well, and that can be tough for us because we are normally the team that dictates possession. We needed to be resilient and ready for that situation, and I think the team showed it was prepared.”

The win avenged Gotham’s home loss to San Diego back in May, and it also gave a glimpse into what Amorós’s team can look like at its best, continuing a run of form since a June win at Utah that has Gotham among the hottest squads in the league. Gotham is 5-1-3, with 18 points from a possible 27, in its last nine NWSL matches, in addition to a perfect record through two Concacaf W Champions Cup group stage games.

At Snapdragon Stadium, Gotham’s goals both fit the team’s playing style perfectly.

The first, from González in the 45th minute, came from Gotham’s pressing. A bad back pass put San Diego goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan under pressure from Gotham forward Geyse, forcing the ball to the Spanish striker, who passed it into the goal from 20 yards out. González now has 13 goals – 11 in the first halves of games – and is four away from tying the club record for a single season.

Shaw, who came on at halftime after joining the team Thursday for her first training session, redirected a driven cross from Jaelin Howell with a header in the 79th minute to seal the win. It was the perfect exclamation point on a whirlwind week for the 20-year-old who transferred in from the North Carolina Courage.

“Honestly, I’ve just been taking it as it comes,” Shaw said. “It’s been a lot, but I’m not taking myself too seriously, and I’m enjoying the moments I get here with everyone while getting to know the team. Once you’re out there playing soccer, nothing else really matters. As soon as I got on the pitch, it all felt good.”

Gotham FC now heads north of the border to face Vancouver Rise FC Academy in its third Concacaf W Champions Cup group stage match. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 16, with streaming coverage on Paramount+.

Key Match Points

• Midfielder Jaedyn Shaw scored her first goal for Gotham FC in her debut, marking the second time she has scored in an NWSL club debut. She became the fifth player in league history to achieve the feat.
  • The goal was Shaw’s fourth of the 2025 NWSL season.
  • Shaw has now scored against 11 of the league’s 14 active clubs, with the exceptions of Gotham FC, Kansas City and Portland.
• Forward Esther González scored her 13th goal of the 2025 regular season to retake the Golden Boot lead. She is four goals shy of Gotham’s single-season record of 17, set by Sam Kerr in 2017.
  • González has scored the opening goal in six NWSL matches this season.
• González has recorded 11 first-half goals this season, moving into second place in league history for most first-half goals in a single season. She is one shy of tying the record set by Sam Kerr in 2019.
• Midfielder Jaelin Howell registered her first assist of the season in league play and her first for Gotham in the NWSL, setting up Shaw’s debut goal.
  • Howell has contributed to goals in her last three NWSL matches, with two goals and one assist.
• Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger earned her eighth shutout of the season, tying the club record shared with Brittany Cameron (2013) and Berger herself (2024).
• Gotham FC earned its first road win against San Diego and just its second victory in the all-time series.
• Gotham is 16-2-2 in regular-season and playoff matches when González scores.
• Gotham improved to 6-1-2 when scoring the opening goal in NWSL play this season, including 5-0-2 when scoring first on the road.
• Gotham also improved to 6-1-1 in league play when leading at halftime this season.
• Gotham FC is 10-1-0 in its last 11 matches against California opponents, with a 25-7 advantage in goals.
• Gotham scored its 15th first-half goal of the season. Only Kansas City (24) and Washington (20) have more.
• Gotham recorded its eighth goal in the final 15 minutes of the first half this season. Only Kansas City (11) and Washington (9) have more.
• Gotham posted its ninth shutout of the season, tying the club single-season record set in 2013 (22 matches) and matched in 2024 (26 matches).

Gotham FC at San Diego Wave FC

Friday, Sept. 12, 2025

10 p.m. ET kickoff

Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California

Attendance: 10,403

Weather: 68 degrees, partly cloudy

Gotham FC (1, 1 – 2)

San Diego Wave FC (0, 0 – 0)

Scoring Summary

Gotham FC

45’ - Esther González

79’ - Jaedyn Shaw (Jaelin Howell)

Gotham FC (4-3-3): 30 – Ann-Katrin Berger (GK); 3 – Bruninha (84’ 22 – Mandy Freeman), 6 – Emily Sonnett, 27 – Jess Carter, 4 – Lilly Reale; 7 – Jaelin Howell , 9 – Esther González, 16 – Rose Lavelle (C) (76’ 5 – Josefine Hasbo); 18 – Gabi Portilho (46’ 2 – Jaedyn Shaw), 10 – Geyse (84’ 28 – Katie Stengel), 23 – Midge Purce (90+6’ 19 – Kayla Duran)

Unused substitutes: 1 – Shelby Hogan (GK); 8 – Taryn Torres, 11 – Sarah Schupansky, 34 – Khyah Harper

Head coach: Juan Carlos Amorós

San Diego Wave FC (4-3-3): 1 – Kailen Sheridan (GK) (C); 75 – Perle Morroni, 12 – Kennedy Wesley, 3 – Trinity Armstrong, 6 – Hanna Lundkvist; 10 – Kenza Dali, 11 – Gia Corley (71’ 17 – Kimmi Ascanio), 21 – Savannah McCaskill; 20 – Delphine Cascarino (60’ 9 – Adriana Leon), 88 – Dudinha (84’ 14 – Kristen McNabb), 19 – Kyra Carusa (61’ 15 – Makenzy Robbe)

Unused substitutes: 31 – Didi Haracic (GK); 18 – Laurina Fazer, 28 – Jordan Fusco, 30 – Daniela Arias, 34 – Quincy, McMahon

Head coach: Jonas Eidevall

Stats Summary

GFC / SD

Expected Goals: 1.84 / 1.04

Shots: 12 / 15

Shots on Goal: 6 / 2

Saves: 2 / 4

Corners: 6 / 6

Fouls: 12 / 12

Offside: 3 / 3

Misconduct Summary:

Gotham FC

40’ Geyse (Yellow Card - Reckless Offense)

55’ Emily Sonnett (Yellow Card - Tactical Foul)

San Diego Wave FC

67’ Gia Corley (Yellow Card - Reckless Offense)

Officials

Referee: Brandon Stevis

Assistant Referee 1: Peter Hanson

Assistant Referee 2: Tiffini Turpin

4th Official: Jose Landa

VAR: Elton Garcia

AVAR: Karsten Gillwald