Gotham FC: From Worst to First

What a difference a year can make.

For Gotham FC, the 2022 season certainly was a season to forget as they compiled a 4-17-1 record and 13 measly points in the NWSL table as they finished dead last in the league again; what a difference a year can make as Gotham FC has gone from worst to first in the NWSL.

Gotham FC sits on top of the NWSL table right now.

If Gotham FC had come into the 2023 season to erase the stigma of last year’s poor performance, they would have already succeeded in that mission.  With a total of four wins last year, the 2023 version of this squad has amassed five wins in only nine matches so far.  Gotham FC has a 5-2-2 NWSL record and 17 points as they look to be the team to beat right now in professional women’s soccer.

Gotham FC are road warriors.

Most teams enjoy the friendly confines of their home stadiums and home supporters, but Gotham FC has found a way to reverse that trend.  While they’re an even 1-1-1 at Red Bull Arena,  Gotham FC has a stellar 4-1-1 record on the road, which has helped this squad become the dominant team in the NWSL at this stage of the season.

Gotham FC finds a way to get the job done.

While Gotham FC isn’t the top-scoring team in the NWSL, they have three clean sheets so far this season and scored 12 goals to eight goals conceded.  1-0 wins or 1-1 draws earn as many points in the NWSL table as multiple-goal wins.

The dynamic duo of Midge Purce (about to start her 100th match in the NWSL) and Lynn Williams are finding ways to finish off opponents and keep Gotham FC in the win column.  Williams has four game-winning goals this season (the league record is six, set by teammate Midge Purce in 2021.)

Even more impressive for Gotham FC is the fact that they’re becoming aggressive shooters, with three of the last six match goals scored coming from outside of the box.  To put this statistic into perspective, Gotham FC has only scored two of their last 29 goals going back to 2021 from outside the box but has three long-range goals this season in the first nine matches.

Remember, it’s not how pretty you play but how many wins and draws you can drag out of each match to earn table points, and if the early season is any indication, Gotham FC is now a serious playoff contender within the NWSL ranks.

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