Gotham FC got here to London for the FIFA Girls’s Champions Cup this week viewing the additional event video games as an extension to their 2025 NWSL title-winning season.
They needed to for 2026 by capturing a giant win on the worldwide stage.
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As a substitute, Gotham walked away from Wednesday’s semifinal match towards the Brazilian membership Corinthians with a combination of disappointment and concern.
Star midfielder Rose Lavelle left Gotham’s 1-0 loss within the fourth minute of stoppage time with concussion-like signs after getting hit within the head with the ball.
Rose Lavelle suffered an harm Wednesday. AP
Fellow ahead Gabi Portilho additionally was subbed out with an obvious ankle concern. The severity of both harm was not instantly identified.
“Hopefully, they’re each nice,” Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós advised reporters after the loss.
Portilho’s standing for Sunday’s third-place match towards Morocco’s ASFAR stays unsure, whereas Lavelle is anticipated to be sidelined indefinitely after coming into concussion protocol.
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Gotham knew there have been execs and cons to taking part in within the — a chance they earned after profitable final 12 months’s CONCACAF W Champions Cup final Might.
Having a shot at profitable the title of “the world’s greatest membership” together with the $2.3 million prize outweighed the sacrifices that may include having a shorter offseason and the additional miles that got here with an extended taking part in calendar.
SC Corinthians celebrates its 1-0 win. FIFA by way of Getty Photographs
However Gotham’s stunning loss to the Brazilian membership Corinthians casts a shadow on this chance. Now, one of the best Gotham can end is third and the membership will obtain only a $200,000 bonus for making it this far.
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After the loss, defender Jess Carter stated the staff was “a bit disenchanted.”
“We really feel like we in all probability ought to have finished higher all through the sport and been extra medical in each containers,” Carter stated. “There’s not likely way more to say apart from in all probability somewhat bit disenchanted by it.”
Gabi Portilho (again) additionally suffered an harm Wednesday. Getty Photographs
Gotham was a favourite to win the first-ever Girls’s Champions Cup. Their largest competitors was believed to be England’s Arsenal, who simply gained Wednesday’s second semifinal.
Gotham was in management for many of Wednesday’s match. They outshot their opponents 21-9 and had seven nook kicks to the Corinthians’ one. Gotham additionally possessed the ball for 66 p.c of the time.
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However Gabi Zanotti’s objective within the 83rd minute proved to be sufficient. Jaedyn Shaw had a chance to attain the equalizer on the finish of stoppage time. However her free kick outdoors the 18-yard field went simply vast of the closest publish.
Gabi Zanotti of SC Corinthians celebrates on the ultimate whistle throughout the FIFA Girls’s Champions Cup 2026 Semi Last match between Gotham FC and SC Corinthians at Brentford stadium on January 28, 2026 in London, England. Getty Photographs
Wednesday wasn’t the end result that Gotham hoped for. However Amorós noticed quite a lot of positives from his staff.
“The staff did very well in each facet other than scoring targets,” he stated. “I feel we dominated. We ready the entire month for this, and sadly in the present day we weren’t good in that facet.”
Wednesday gave Gotham a place to begin for his or her 2025 NWSL title protection, although the season doesn’t formally start till March 14. Nonetheless, they want they had been taking part in for extra come Sunday.
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“We simply usually at all times need to be within the ultimate. We’re disenchanted to not be there,” Carter stated. “However I feel there’s quite a lot of issues that we’ve acquired to look again, evaluate, give attention to and do higher, not only for this competitors, however for the remainder of our season.”