Red card does not shake Gotham FC as the team draws with the Spirit | OneFootball

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in New Jersey, NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit met at Sports Illustrated Stadium in a game that was labeled as a rivalry match.  While there is a legitimate argument about whether there is a true rivalry, the Bats sought to sweep the regular season series after beating the D.C. team in the opposite fixture and losing the series in 2024.  Sadly, they could not do that, for the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

Gotham FC had a great Starting XI, and both Esther González and Khyah Harper started the match.  Harper scored in her first start last week while González was back after her time with Spain at EURO 2025.  Midge Purce, who was injured in Chicago, was available off the bench and came on in the 88th minute.

Notably, the pressure was at an all-time high.  The NJ/NY team knew they had to take advantage of playing at home and secure all three points.  They should be playing better this season and should be higher in the standings.  Yes, injuries hurt them a little, especially earlier in the year.  But this is a solid roster.  And the match against the Spirit would set the tone for a period where the ladies will play four of their next five NWSL fixtures.

So, this makes the result a little disappointing.  But the fact that Gotham FC played decently well after being down a player for two-thirds of the fixture makes the bitterness a little sweet.

Gotham FC plays to another draw

The game started off with Gotham FC playing at full speed.  At first, it was thought the NJ/NY side would be the one to control the pace of play.  But the Spirit grew into match, with both teams struggling to find the back of the net.  More was desired from everyone, but the incredible crowd wanted to see their team put on a show.

In the first half, Geyse probably had the best opportunity to score for Gotham.  The issue was that her shot in the 23rd minute was not on target.  She had some room, but sent the ball wide across the goal.

Things took a turn for the worse, though, when Geyse was given a red card in the 30th minute.  The winger was called for a foul, and rightfully so, on Gabrielle Carle.  She made contact and did not touch the ball, so that was a no-brainer.  However, the foul went to VAR, which consequently led to the Brazilian’s red.

It was somewhat controversial, for some on social media, and even the ESPN commentators felt the call was harsh.  The NWSL revealed the reason for the red card was that Geyse made direct contact with the Achilles.  Regardless, such fouls are often not called, which makes this decision controversial.

The Bats did surprise everyone.  The first half was rough once they were down a player, but the second half was not the darkness that was expected.  Gotham had periods of possession and threatened in the final third.  The issue at hand was their difficulty with clinical shots and making Aubrey Kingsbury work between the sticks.  It did help that her backline limited the home side’s chances.

Still, the opposition was the Washington Spirit, and the visitors were easily capable of taking the lead.  So, when Kayla Duran made her debut, coming on for Jess Carter in the 79th minute, nerves about whether the backline could hang on increased.  Of course, it was great to see Duran make her debut, but it was definitely an interesting time to do so. But she did a good job to help the backline.

There was a scary moment toward the end of the game.  Ann-Katrin Berger and Lilly Reale collided in the box, with the defender undercutting her goalkeeper.  This gave the Spirit an open goal to score into, but thankfully, Jaelin Howell kicked the ball over the goal.  More importantly, Berger and Reale were both okay.

That was a critical intervention to keep the game level.  Then, in stoppage time, Katie Stengel had the best chance of the match when her shot forced Kingsbury to make the reaching save.  Alas, as the final whistle blew, Gotham and the Spirit had to settle for a 0-0 draw.

Since the Bats were down a player for 60-plus minutes, the draw, in a way, feels like a win.  There are so many times when teams lose after losing someone to a red card.  But the ladies held strong and even put themselves in a place where they could have won.  They also defended well, with Berger making some intelligent decisions in and out of the box.  The keeper had four saves.

Nevertheless, there is a caveat.  This was another match that Gotham lost out on points at home.  It would be a little easier to accept if they were on the defensive for the remainder of the game after Geyse was sent off.  But it was also easy to forget at times that the game was not 11 v 11.  The home side did well enough to not only keep the game level, but give them a shot at all three points.

Saturday might feel like a win, but in the end, Gotham FC only earned a point.  This is not good as the team fights to move up the table in the NWSL.