When the final whistle blew Sunday, Gotham FC and its fans could breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Gotham did just enough to beat the Seattle Reign 1-0 to advance to the defending NWSL champions’ fourth consecutive semifinal.
It wasn’t at all pretty.
The poor field conditions at Sports Illustrated Stadium were partly to blame.
Jaelin Howell, who played 60 minutes despite hurting her right ankle in last week’s regular-season finale, described the grounds as unstable and sandy.
Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós apologized for the state of the pitch, which he said directly impacted the game’s flow.
“At this level, in this kind of game, as a league, and we should have a better surface,” Amorós said. “Unfortunately, our club and football club did absolutely everything in their power to make sure that was the case. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. But luckily, it looks like nobody got hurt and the game was what it was.
“I don’t think it was the best football match that you will ever see, that’s for sure. It’s not the best football match that we’ve ever played, that’s for sure. But we found a way to win … and in the playoffs, that’s obviously something very important, so happy on that side.”
Gotham recorded zero shots on goal.
They had Reign center back Jordyn Bugg to thank for their lone goal.
In the fourth minute, Bugg accidentally redirected Jaedyn Shaw’s corner kick into the Reign’s net for an own goal.
Shaw said she was trying to put pressure on the Reign from the corner, but the subpar surface caused her plant foot to slip a little bit.
It worked out for Shaw anyway.
“Obviously, it’s unfortunate for Jordyn,” said Shaw, who lauded Bugg as a “great young player.” “It’s unfortunate to go out that way. But I think for us as a team, we do take pride in putting pressure on teams and making things difficult for them and causing mistakes.”
Defensive breakdowns and miscommunication by Gotham allowed the Reign to create plenty of opportunities for an equalizer.
But goalie Ann-Katrin Berger wasn’t letting anything go past her.
She made a leaping save to deny Mia Fishel a goal in the 50th minute.
Berger also dived to stop Maddie Mercado’s shot attempt from the center of the box in the 71st minute.
The Reign had one last-ditch effort in stoppage time.
But the free kick sailed wide, and the final whistle blew. Berger extended her franchise single-season record for clean sheets to 12.
“It’s hard enough getting through our back line, but to get through Ann is a whole ’nother task,” Shaw said. “We’re all really grateful to have her back there. I know I am as an attacker … We all just have full trust in her ability, and she’s just, again, such an integral part of our team.”
Gotham knows it needs to be better than it was Sunday if it wants to be successful in its pursuit of the NWSL’s first treble and win all three of the league’s trophies in a single calendar year.
Gotham already beat the Kansas City Current in the Challenge Cup earlier this summer and won their first NWSL Shield after posting the league’s best regular-season record last weekend.
After Sunday, Gotham is now only two wins away from their third title in four years.
Gotham is set to host the Current next weekend in a semifinal, but when and where remains unclear.
There had been some speculation on whether Gotham could host its match at Sports Illustrated Stadium due to a scheduling conflict Sunday.
The club lined up Icahn Stadium in New York as a backup option.
“Hosting is huge,” Mandy Freeman said. “It’s what we really pushed for this year with finishing top of the table, getting the opportunity to play in front of the crowd, to play in front of our fans, to not have to travel. Those are all advantages, and so regardless of whether we’re here, at Icahn Stadium, we’re home, and we know that the fans are going to be there behind us.”
