Gotham FC returns to the win column by defeating C.F. Monterrey | OneFootball

After Sunday's last-minute defeat to the Houston Dash, NJ/NY Gotham FC rebounded with a 2-1 win over C.F. Monterrey Femenil to open their CONCACAF W Champions Cup title defense. It marks Gotham's first win at home in the competition, with both of their home group stage matches last year ending in draws.

This win, in addition to three points, hopefully gives the Bats something to build on for the rest of the season. It has been a shaky start to the second half with two draws and a loss in three games. And while their overall play has been mostly good, the results have not followed for one reason or another. This is the first game in the second half of the season where they will feel the result matched the performance as they come away with the win.

Now, Gotham is second in Group B, tied on points with the Washington Spirit but behind on goal differential as the Spirit won their opener 7-0 over Alianza Women F.C. in El Salvador. The Bats will take on Alianza in El Salvador in their next Champions Cup matchup on Tuesday, September 2.

Meanwhile, the fixture gave the team a chance to rebound and gave players who had played a limited amount of minutes a chance to play. Players like Shelby Hogan, Josefine Hasbo, Sofia Cook, Kayla Duran, Taryn Torres, and Khyah Harper all got the start on Wednesday after playing limited minutes so far this season.

A strong start to Gotham FC's title defense

Gotham FC again got off to a strong start for the third game in a row, with most of the first 45 minutes being played in Monterrey's defensive half. This resulted in an early goal from Bruninha in the sixth minute of play. The Monterrey goalkeeper, Ana Paz, fumbled the ball in the box to Hasbo, who quickly found Bruninha. The Brazilian put the ball into a wide-open goal to give the NJ/NY side the early lead.

They then scored their second in the 24th minute, this time from Harper. A bouncing ball off a Gotham corner eventually found its way to the foot of Emily Sonnett, who made a snaking run around the box before finding Harper with a cross-box pass. The young forward put the ball away with a strong first-time finish to double the lead.

That two-goal lead was short-lived, though, as Monterrey answered just eight minutes later. In a rare foray forward, midfielder Marcela Restrepo fired a shot from the top of the box that bounced off the crossbar. She managed to get her own rebound and head the ball into an open goal to cut Gotham's lead in half. It would be fair to say this was an unlucky goal to concede, but the NJ/NY defenders did do a little bit of ball-watching as the ball bounced off the crossbar. Hence, that might have caused them to lose out on the rebound.

Additionally, the weather played a factor in the match, especially on Gotham's first goal. Wind and rain wreaked havoc on both teams, with the wind affecting crosses and long balls while the rain created a fast surface that saw balls bounce much further than usual.

While conditions seemed to be improving towards the end of the first half, they regressed as the second half began, with both the wind and rain picking up significantly. And this very clearly played a huge role in the second half, with both teams really struggling to sustain pressure and create chances.

Things then started to open up for Gotham FC around the 65th minute. Second-half substitutes Esther González and Gabi Portilho both had good looks in front of goal, but neither had great shots and missed the goal on both occasions. Cook then followed it up with a shot of her own a few minutes later, which was the closest to going in as it went just over the crossbar.

And while both teams would have a few more chances in the final 15 minutes, neither team challenged the other's goalkeeper. As a result, the Bats won 2-1 in what was an overall good performance. The team earned the three points and did so with a heavily rotated squad.

Players like Harper, Geyse, and Hasbo all had good games, while Cook really grew into the match and had a strong second half. Having these players, who haven't always been the main contributors this season, be the ones who drove the team to the win on Wednesday is big for Gotham. It potentially gives Head Coach Juan Carlos Amorós more confidence in giving them bigger roles to help the team as the season continues.

Next, Gotham FC will have an opportunity to win in the NWSL. Utah Royals FC will head to New Jersey this weekend, and the team is in last place. The Bats can use the Champions Cup win to spark the confidence to finally get a much-needed home win in regular-season play.