HARRISON, NJ – NJ/NY Gotham FC fell to the North Carolina Courage 1-0 in their second consecutive match at Red Bull Arena.

For the second Sunday in a row, the Gotham FC faithful gathered at Red Bull Arena to see their team attempt to shake off a tough previous loss. The NJ/NY side started the game with a couple of great runs, setting the tone for what would be a back-and-forth affair in the first half. Playing against a North Carolina team that loves to pressure, the first 45 minutes saw only a couple chances for Gotham FC.

With forwards Midge Purce, Ifeoma Onumonu and midfielder Kristie Mewis out on international duty, Gotham FC was looking for scoring throughout the lineup. Victoria Pickett made her first start for the NJ/NY side, providing a spark up front. As the first half came to a close, the match found itself at a 0-0 stalemate.

The pace of play opened up in the second half, with one of the best chances for Gotham FC coming in the 58th minute. North Carolina keeper Katelyn Rowland made a world class save on a fantastic header by Paige Monaghan, foiling the home side’s chance for a first tally. North Carolina continued to press forward with their vaunted attack, eventually breaking through in the 81st minute. Fuka Nagano sent a strike towards goal from outside of the box, and an attempted block by Mandy Freeman deflected the ball behind Michelle Betos to send the Courage ahead.

That would be all the away side needed, as the match would end 1-0 in the favor of North Carolina.

Speaking on the disappointment of the 1-0 loss, interim coach Hue Menzies mentioned the frustrating nature of dropping a game by one goal. “We were so close, we worked so hard, we’ve been grinding. We had our chances and we had one little mishap…one play like that shouldn’t make an impact, but we’ve got to execute,” he remarked.

The loss to North Carolina marks Gotham FC’s eight consecutive defeat, keeping them at the bottom of the league table. The Courage return home with three points, hoping to vault themselves into the playoff conversation as the season nears an end.

Defender Imani Dorsey commented on the state of the team after yet another tough loss, “I think it was pretty frustrating, I think we’re all putting all of our effort out there. I’m drained, I know we’re all drained and frustrated, but that doesn’t excuse that we can be better…we have to push ourselves to a higher standard.”

Gotham FC closes out their home stand next Sunday September 11th against the Kansas City Current. Fans can purchase tickets at GothamFC.com/Tickets.