Home Opener tickets now on sale!

Blue Out is on the horizon!

Match Preview: NJ/NY Gotham FC Set to Take on OL Reign in NWSL Championship
November 10, 2023

Match Preview: NJ/NY Gotham FC Set to Take on OL Reign in NWSL Championship

HARRISON, NJ(Friday, November 10, 2023) NJ/NY Gotham FC look to cap off its historic season in the NWSL Championship, when the club takes on OL Reign on Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego (8 p.m. ET, CBS Television Network and Paramount+).


The club's rise to reach the NWSL Championship comes at a momentous moment for captain Ali Krieger, who will player the final game of her professional soccer career on the league's biggest stage.


In the NWSL Playoffs semifinal, the club defeated defending champions Portland Thorns 1-0 in extra time at Providence Park. After a scoreless regulation, Gotham FC finally broke through in the 107th minute with the game-winning goal from forward Katie Stengel. The ball deflected off a Portland defender and fell to midfielder Kristie Mewis, who played the ball first time to Stengel at the top of the box. The forward took a few touches away from goal then struck the ball with her left foot, which bent over the keeper and into the goal.


The season finale on Saturday will be the third time the two clubs faced each other in the 2023 season, with each club having a win against each other. Most recently, Gotham FC won 4-1 against OL Reign on May 21. Gotham FC had four different players score in the match – Jenna Nighswonger, Lynn Williams, Taylor Smith, and Bruninha. On April 2, OL Reign won 2-0 at Red Bull Arena early in the season.


On Saturday, Gotham FC will look to secure its first NWSL Championship against OL Reign, when the match kicks off at 8 p.m. ET at Snapdragon Stadium.


Locally, Gotham FC will host watch parties for fans in New Jersey and New York. Fans can catch the action in New York City at Highbury Pub (1002 Courtelyou Road), Paddy’s of Park Slope (273 13th Street), or Crossbar (250 W 86th Street). For locations in New Jersey, fans can join Mulligans in Hoboken (159 1st Street) or Joia Café in Harrison (1100 Frank E Rodgers Blvd. S).

Match Notes

  • Saturday will be captain Ali Krieger's 200th game in all NWSL competitions. With the appearance, she will be the eighth player to reach 200 appearances.
  • Goalkeeper Mandy Haught is tied with Cassie Miller (CHI, 2021) and Claudia Dickey (RGN, 2023) with two playoff shutouts to start her career. Haught is the only one to do it with an overtime game included. She needs 38 minutes (currently at 210) to pass Miller (247) for the most shutout minutes to start a goalkeeping playoff career.
  • Forward Katie Stengel's playoff goal, assisted by midfielder Kristie Mewis, was the first sub-to-sub playoff game winner in league history and just the second sub-to-sub playoff goal.
  • Forward Lynn Williams is now the all-time minutes leader (1,131) for the NWSL playoffs, as well as all-time leader for shots (40), shots on target (18) and assists (three, tied with Lauren Holiday and Jess McDonald). She is set to appear in her fifth NWSL championship game (matching the league record set by Kristen Hamilton last year) and could become the first player in league history to win four NWSL championships.
  • Gotham FC won its first NWSL semifinal in club history against the Portland Thorns.
  • Gotham FC, at No. 6, is the lowest seed to make an NWSL final.

###