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Lavelle’s Late Winner Seals NWSL Title as Gotham FC Becomes First No. 8 Seed Champion

The victory capped an underdog postseason, with a sellout final in San Jose underscoring the league’s growing pull.

Overview

  • Rose Lavelle scored in the 80th minute off a Bruninha cutback and was named the Championship game MVP.
  • Gotham’s path featured road upsets of No. 1 Kansas City and defending champion Orlando, powered by midseason arrival Jaedyn Shaw after a record $1.25 million transfer.
  • Washington’s Trinity Rodman returned from an MCL sprain as a second‑half substitute but could not change the game and appeared to land awkwardly late.
  • The No. 2 seed Spirit fell in a second straight final as Gotham limited them to six shots and none on target at PayPal Park.
  • The title match sold out at roughly 18,000 with national coverage on CBS/Paramount+, as the NWSL reports a 22% year‑over‑year rise in regular‑season viewership.