3 things we learned from Gotham FC's rainy comeback win over Seattle Reign FC | OneFootball

NJ/NY Gotham FC could not get a break from the weather.  After the heat and air quality impacted the Queens Classic on Wednesday, the Bats had to deal with rain, wind, thunder, and lightning on Saturday.  There was also the initial threat from the air quality for both days, but the levels stayed under the threshold for postponement.  But eventually, after a long delay for the Seattle Reign FC match, the game took place.

In the first NWSL fixture at Icahn Stadium, Gotham FC was down 2-0 until the 81st minute.  But with the rain paused, the Bats fought tooth-and-nail to earn themselves a 3-2 comeback win.  It was another emotional win, and the team finished the week with two wins out of two.

The NJ/NY side was able to come back due to tactical changes and Juan’s substitution decisions.  Esther González, who was one of those subs, scored a brace to get the Bats on the board and then tie the match.  But it was Rose Lavelle’s golazo that won all three points.  In a way, one could say that the team pulled an Argentina, just without any controversial decisions.

The rain delay might have caused some early issues, but the Bats prevailed.  Here are three things we learned from Gotham FC’s 3-2 win over the Reign.

Gotham FC’s weather problems

As mentioned, Gotham FC was faced with major weather problems entering the match, and it caused a 2-hour and 35-minute delay.  Storms and pouring rain kept the players off the pitch.  Then, due to the air quality, like on Wednesday, they had two hydration breaks per half.  As such, any fans, who were few and far between compared to Wednesday’s win at Citi Field, basically spent the entire day on Randalls Island.

What is interesting, though, is that the teams and the NWSL knew the forecast.  They knew what was in store, and that nasty storms were going to be going through the city.  Weather alerts, including flash flood warnings, were prevalent throughout the area.

Yet, they did not want to postpone the match for another day.  Of course, they likely did not want to have anything scheduled on Sunday, for the finals of the World Cup is going on in New Jersey.  That is understandable.

However, why did they not think to move the match later in the afternoon or evening instead?  Yes, there was still the threat of storms, and the NWSL and ESPN would have had to figure out a change in network.  Streaming on the ESPN app or moving to a channel like ESPN News might have been an option, and as seen afterward, they were able to move to ESPN2.

But with the threat of bad weather throughout the day, no changes were made.  The league was not proactive in making the proper decision before the game, and it was played in the end.  At least Gotham came out victorious after all of this.

VAR was poorly used but Gotham FC had luck

If anyone has been living under a rock, then they have missed all of the complaints about VAR in the World Cup.  There are arguments that it is ruining the game and that it is not being used properly.  Moreover, referees tend to have issues with overturning things, even when correct, but not when something is clear and obvious.

Gotham FC sadly faced the same thing.  An arguably light foul in the box by Emily Sonnett, which was not initially called, caused play to stop.  The referee took time listening to those handling VAR, and eventually went to the monitor to look at the play himself.  Between the initial pause and the time a decision was made, multiple minutes went by, and a penalty kick was called.

The fact that it took so long likely means that the foul was not clear and obvious, which is the threshold to overturn an initial play.  Now, sure, perhaps the penalty was the right call, especially because Sonnett did not get any of the ball.  But some angles showed barely any contact.  Additionally, if the initial call was a penalty kick, then the same argument for overturning would apply.

The good news is that Maddie Dahlien failed to convert the penalty kick, hitting the post.  This missed shot kept Gotham in the match.  If the Reign had scored, then the NJ/NY side would not have won regardless of whether the goals would have been scored.  So, the team received some luck from that missed penalty kick.  But of course, the ladies’ fight is truly why the game ended in a win.

Esther González is back

Of course, it was González’s goals that put Gotham back in the fight.  Her brace put the team on the board and then tied the match.  This is now her second brace in the last three games.  She also scored in the NWSL Challenge Cup win, meaning that she has scored five goals since the June break.

In complete honesty, perhaps Sam Kerr’s signing woke her up.  They both play as strikers, although González can play behind or on the wings if needed.  But often, competition can bring the best out of players.  As such, she is back and scoring for Gotham FC.