Photocredit: Mike Watters-imagn images
Gotham did not cheer much in 2025, especially because it relates to the scoring of goals. But the first of the two they scored in Orlando at the weekend was a work of beauty. It not only showed different principles that head coach Juan Carlos Amoros preach, but also the subtle sparkle of USSWNT -Midfielder Rose Lavelle. Let’s look.
To begin with, it is to look at this goal to be reminded of how unusual it is for NWSL teams to withdraw and to reset an attack that has been reached the last third. In these first two stills, the ball was raised near the opposite 18 and then played all the way back to a High-Sitting keeper, Ann-Katrin Berger. The pride broke the piece just after the first, but Gotham immediately won the ball back and took, led by Lavelle, the patient route and reset the piece.
After Gotham was recycled to their keeper, the deliberate game continued. Berger played the ball on the left and with minimal pressure from pride he ran his way to the right. From there, Emily Sonnett decides to break lines and go to midfield. See how open Josefine Hasbo is to accept Sonnett’s ball. If the pride was not aimed at putting the Gotham -agent line under pressure, and there was no one close enough to spit on Hasbo, where exactly was the defense?
After Hasbo had collected the ball, she took a few dribbles and found Bruninha hugged the right flank. Bruninha took a few own dribbles and brought the ball back to the center of the park for the first of two picturesque Lavelle stretches. Below is Lavelle, under tokend print, just before a one-touch pass to Gabi Portilho, who is the player just above her and near the edge of the 18. There is one trots player in between.
Lavelle never stopped moving after the ball had left her foot and she hurried to get in place to take the Portilho return pass. Haley McCutcheon has a position on Lavelle, but Lavelle muscles through her mark to make a 50/50 challenge of what seemed to be a detrimental position. That 50/50 ball went to Esther Gonzalez and the Spanish Wunderkind did the rest.
The 12th goal of Esther of the season gave Gotham a head start that they would not give up and placed her for the Temwa Chawinga of Kansas City in the Golden Boot Race.
Below is the full series. And for this week’s bonus track, KK Reem will have more clinical finishes, but this Helped her Olivia Moultrie to move as the youngest target scorer in the regular seasonal history of NWSL.
#Rose #Lavelle #Touch #Finds #Esther #Equalizer #Soccer