Gotham FC Set to Face North Carolina on NWSL’s Decision Day

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Oct. 20, 2025) - Gotham FC and the North Carolina Courage will kick off a nationally televised showdown on ESPN at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 2, as part of the National Women’s Soccer League’s Decision Day, the regular season finale when 12 of the 14 teams play simultaneously.

Gotham (9-7-9, 36 points) enters the final weekend having clinched its place in the postseason. Coach Juan Carlos Amorós’s team is in seventh place but has a shot at finishing as high as fourth – which would bring the 2025 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel, to Sports Illustrated Stadium for the opening round of the knockout tournament. Placing fifth or lower in the standings would mean Gotham plays on the road in the quarterfinals.

In order to host a quarterfinal, Gotham must first win against North Carolina. Then it needs Kansas City to defeat or tie San Diego in their matchup, which will kick off at 3 p.m. on Decision Day, and Houston to defeat or tie Portland in their 5 p.m. ET pairing. Those results would nudge Gotham back into the top half of the playoff bracket.

The stakes for North Carolina, meanwhile, couldn’t be higher. The Courage are fighting for survival, sitting just outside the playoff line in ninth place and facing a must-win Sunday while hoping eighth-place Racing Louisville FC stumbles at home against Bay FC.

The opening round of the playoffs is set for Nov. 7–9, with dates and times to be announced following the conclusion of the regular season.

Should Gotham earn the right to host, members of The Blueprint will receive early access to home playoff tickets. Fans can sign up for The Blueprint here to stay connected and be among the first to secure seats for postseason action at Sports Illustrated Stadium.