Esther González and Gotham FC Chase Championship Glory, Aiming to Recapture Their Stunning 2023 Triumph
Quotes have been translated from their original Spanish language.
NJ/NY Gotham FC finds itself in familiar territory. Located in California, competing in the National Women's Soccer League championship game, having secured a playoff spot as the final seed. When this scenario last unfolded in 2023, they emerged victorious. That triumph marked the club's inaugural NWSL Championship victory, coinciding with Spanish forward Esther González's debut campaign in the league.
"[The 2023 championship game] remains vivid in my mind and has a very similar feel," Esther explains. "Our performance wasn't stellar during the regular season's conclusion, but when the playoffs arrived, we showed tremendous resolve. It feels like experiencing the same situation again because we approach this championship with identical emotions."
Esther has played a crucial role in Gotham's journey to this year's final. The 32-year-old led the Golden Boot race for a significant portion of the season before an injury forced her to the sidelines during the campaign's final stretch.
The Spanish forward returned to action for Gotham for the first time since mid-October during the club's semifinal victory over Orlando on November 16, and she feels prepared and confident for Saturday's clash with the Washington Spirit.
"Having the chance to complete the season on the pitch and getting the opportunity to play a full 90 minutes [in the semifinal] versus Orlando felt incredibly satisfying," Esther explains. "I'm approaching the championship with positive energy."
Starting the postseason as the eighth seed, Gotham needed to eliminate the Shield champions, Kansas City Current, in the quarterfinals before defeating the Orlando Pride to secure their championship berth. However, the squad never viewed itself as a conventional eighth seed. Injuries plagued Gotham throughout much of the campaign, and just a handful of close results going differently could have placed the team among the top four. Yet Esther isn't offering any justifications. In reality, midfielder Jaedyn Shaw dismissed the notion of Gotham being viewed as underdogs following the quarterfinal, and Esther shares that sentiment.
"I believe that our [eighth seed] position doesn't represent our actual capabilities, or at least that's my perspective," Esther states. "It's been a somewhat unusual season, but we're not offering justifications. Ultimately, we have confidence in all our current players, and most importantly, we're ready and maintain an optimistic outlook, understanding that we have an excellent opportunity and must work diligently because Washington is an outstanding team."
Esther's teammate, Midge Purce, shares this view, and while she recognizes some parallels to the 2023 campaign on the surface, she understands that Gotham is a squad constructed to compete and prepared for this opportunity.
"I believe to outside observers, it seems [similar to 2023] because we performed poorly in securing our playoff position, which was disappointing," Purce stated, addressing the media before the final. "2023 was genuinely a Cinderella tale where we prevailed, but I don't view this current situation and think Cinderella."
Delivering against their adversary
It was Esther's brilliance in the attacking third that secured the team a championship in 2023, with a header from a corner kick delivered by Purce establishing the 2–1 advantage against Seattle Reign. The squad will certainly look to their leading scorer to replicate that brilliance. Fortunately, the Spirit represents a team she feels comfortable scoring against, having netted more goals versus the Washington club than any other NWSL opponent since joining the league in '23.
"There are always opponents you perform slightly better against," Esther says with a chuckle. "I'm not entirely sure what causes it, but hopefully Saturday will be no different."
Facing the Spirit—the club that not only eliminated Gotham from the 2024 playoffs with a semifinal penalty shootout victory, but a team that Gotham has encountered 44 times, more than any other opponent in the league—carries personal significance for Esther. In that penalty shootout in '24, she was among three Gotham players to fail with their attempt, and this time, failure isn't acceptable.
"Every loss provides valuable lessons, and that game really helped us emerge stronger because now we're in the championship," Esther explains. I believe we gained so much knowledge from that contest, and it definitely made those of us who participated much more experienced for this season, ensuring it would be different."
This time Esther hopes the squad can handle business without requiring penalties, not due to lacking confidence, but because they possess confidence. They feel assured in their ball movement, possession control and ability to perform their best during high-stakes moments.
"I genuinely believe we're a squad that enters every match with the goal of victory, and fortunately we're a highly competitive team," Esther explains. "We attempt to defeat every opponent, and when we cannot, it's challenging. Actually, I think we're a team that's quite formidable. With Washington, we definitely share that rivalry. The initial match against them went very well; we won at their venue, and then we tied at home as well, when we were playing with 10 players, which also demonstrates we played an excellent game against them. And those matches have also shown us that they are a strong rival, but that we possess many positive qualities that we execute, and if we perform them and we remain united and support each other, they will bring us much closer to victory."
While there are numerous parallels with 2023, including a rookie left back earning rookie of the year honors (previously it was Jenna Nighswonger, and this year it's Lilly Reale), Esther and her squad are approaching the final with a new perspective. The veteran players are ensuring the rookies and players who haven't yet competed on the NWSL's grandest stage are prepared to tackle this game directly. This year, Gotham welcomed its largest rookie class, including standouts Reale and Sarah Schupansky, who have been important contributors to Gotham's achievements.
"I think we're also fortunate that our rookies consistently desire more; they're driven, they constantly want to continue developing, they ask questions, and perform additional work," Esther explains. "It won't be much longer until we stop referring to them as rookies. They are a vital component of our squad, and we're already attempting to assist them, but they're performing at an excellent level and contribute positive energy to the team. We are fortunate to have a squad with both seasoned players and some younger players who provide that excellent energy."
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