Gotham FC's 2026 season comes to a close after postseason knockout by KC Current

It was a cold day at Icahn Stadium when NJ/NY Gotham FC hosted the Kansas City Current in the semifinals of the NWSL Playoffs. Both teams got to the next round of the playoffs in a different manner. An own goal for the Bats and a powerhouse offensive performance by the Current led to this matchup.

It was a fight, but in the end, Kansas City got the better of Gotham FC, winning 2-1 after a late goal. The home side struggled to be clinical in the atttack, and ultimately, the chase for back-to-back NWSL Championships came to an end.

Notably, Rose Lavelle started the game on the bench. She had been dealing with her neck injury and now calf issues, so she could not play the full fixture. She was missed in the first half, but made a difference in the second half despite the loss.

Nevertheless, a team can only earn so much luck in the postseason when they cannot get a shot on target. Gotham FC and the Current equally had good play, but the visitors won out by being able to score.

At the start of the match, there was some early concern as Ann-Katrin Berger was fouled by Haley Hopkins a little harshly, and when she got up, she was slightly limping. Thankfully, she was able to continue, as Gotham FC and the Current played a back-and-forth game during the first ten minutes or so.

The first threat from the Bats came around the 12th minute. Jadeyn Shaw’s shot went just wide after a perfect pass from Guro Reiten. One of the heroes from last year’s playoff meeting between the teams was available to start, but after the poor attack last week against Seattle Reign FC, the NJ/NY side really needed her and other attackers, like Midge Purce and Sam Kerr, to do something magical in the final third.

Unfortunately, it was Kansas City that struck first. The visitors won a free kick after Denise O’Sullivan fouled Croix Bethune near the center of the box. The Current midfielder subsequently took the free kick in the 20th minute and curled the ball perfectly around the left side of the Gotham wall, sending the ball into the goal slightly beyond a diving Berger.

Clearly, the home side struggled to threaten KC's Lorena. Their next shot did not come until the 39th minute, when O’Sullivan’s shot was blocked. While the Bats were held to two shots and none on target, by halftime, they created offensive sequences as they finished the first half.

Juan Carlos Amorós knew they needed to change things up. So, Lavelle came on at the start of the second 45 minutes and immediately changed the attack. She won a free kick right away, and Guro Reiten took it and almost sent the ball in via a deflected header. But then right after, the Bats won another free kick via Shaw, and her ball eventually got to Lavelle in the middle of the box. Alas, her shot was weak and went wide.

Still, the Current would not go away. Jaelin Howell had to put her body on the line not long after the offensive relay. She blocked Michelle Cooper’s shot, but via the side of her head. Once again, the Midfielder of the Year nominee put her body on the line, aiding the backline.

Nevertheless, it became a more even match, and Gotham’s next best chance came in the 65th minute. They won a free kick outside the box, and Shaw stepped up to take it. She tried to be sneaky with her free kick, and kicked the ball on the ground to the side of everyone. The ball went wide, though.

However, Purce led Gotham to their goal in the 69th minute. She sent the ball toward the goal from the right wing, trying to get it to a teammate. However, Kansas City fell asleep and failed to clear the ball. Instead, Laney Rouse’s touch directed the ball into her own net, leading to another own goal for the NJ/NY side without a shot on target.

The problem, though, was that after the 80th minute, the visiting team came alive and threatened corner kick after corner kick. Then, Temwa Chawinga had a chance running toward the goal, and Berger intervened by making herself big. Yet, Chawinga was not done, as she regained possession of the ball and forced Berger to make a big-time save as the ball was curling toward the top center of the goal.

Sadly, that was not enough. Toward the end of the second half, Reiten gave up a free kick via a handball. The Current’s Izzy Rodriguez sent the ball into the box and found Hopkins running toward the goal. With a clinical touch, she put the ball beyond Berger, and the offensive struggles ultimately sent the Bats packing.

It was a tough way to go out, and Kansas City ultimately got their revenge from last season. Credit deserves to be given when it is due, and the truth is that the visitors had the edge and deserved to win.

Gotham FC fans can still be proud of the team. It was still a magical year, and they cannot win the NWSL Championship every season. So, congratulations to Kansas City, and now the Bats can start building to continue to be one of the top sides in the NWSL in 2027.