CARY, N.C. – It was a banner night for Debinha in Cary on Saturday. The Brazilian Forward caused headache after headache for the Gotham FC backline, posting a hat-trick in front of the North Carolina home crowd. That would be all the Courage needed, taking down NJ/NY Gotham FC by a score of 3-0.
A quick turnaround for Gotham FC, they entered WakeMed Soccer Park on short rest for the Saturday night showdown. The home side was adamant on not being gracious hosts, pushing their patented pressure from the opening whistle. While Gotham FC is eliminated from playoff contention and the Courage are battling for a final spot, both teams entered with the same goal of capturing a victory.
An unfortunate scoreless streak still loomed for Gotham FC, and Debinha didn’t do the NJ/NY side any favors. With goals in the 27th, 34th, and 81st minute, the Brazilian star was the difference, earning her player of the match honors. North Carolina dominated possession numbers and was just too much for the Gotham FC backline to handle. However, in showing the true character of the NJ/NY squad, the messages after the game emphasized an ‘on to the next one’ mentality.
Rookie midfielder Taryn Torres spoke to media members after the match, discussing the learning moments of her first season in the NWSL. “These past few games have been an opportunity to perform and compete for the future. Every game matters, and it’s a great learning experience for me,” she stated. While the results haven’t been there, the team sees each game as a distinct chance to build something special. While that may not be this season, the future is bright for Gotham FC.
Torres finished saying, “we’re looking forward to coming back against Portland. As tough as [the season] has been it’s good for us as a team. We’re definitely looking forward and it can only get better.” These messages of improvement can be seen from the top down, whether they’re coming from veteran leadership or a rookie like Torres.
Coach Hue Menzies continued the messages of preparation for the final match in his post-game comments. In discussing the plan for Saturday’s match against Portland, he emphasized messages of treating this like any other game.
“We really only have two days to train, we’ll do a little bit more film work, get some more analysis on Portland and see where we’re suited [for Saturday],” Menzies said. “We have to stick with our game plan and make it simple and go from there.”
While this campaign has fallen quite short of the aspirations of NJ/NY Gotham FC, Saturday’s match against Portland offers a chance to end the season on the right foot in front of the incredible Gotham FC fans. Red Bull Arena will be rocking to cheer on NJ/NY as they close their 2022 NWSL season. To see them play one last time in 2022, buy tickets at GothamFC.com/Tickets.
