Gotham FC: New record and Shield

Gotham FC have logged 18 victories in the 2026 season, a new club record that secured the NWSL Shield for the first time in franchise history. The New York side defeated the Utah Royals 2-0 on Sunday at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.

The result was a mathematical certainty for the trophy. Gotham needed only a draw to overtake the San Diego Wave, who also won their match on Decision Day but finished three points behind Gotham. Guro Reiten opened the scoring early, while Jaedyn Shaw added a late goal to seal the result.

Ann-Katrin Berger, the team's goalkeeper, addressed the shift in perception following the match. Last season, Gotham won the NWSL Championship as the eighth seed, a fact that media outlets often cited to label them underdogs. Berger rejected that narrative during the post-game press conference.

"We didn't perform last season as well as we should," Berger said. "Because we have the squad that should be on top of the league. I'm not saying that we have to win every single year, but I think now, where we are, that should be our standard with the squad that we have."

Berger emphasized that the team has proven its status. "I think over time we've now proved that we are the top team," she continued. "I really hope that people are taking us very serious because that's what they should [do]."

The current roster holds all three NWSL trophies for at least one week. Coach Juan Carlos Amoros noted that the Shield joins the Challenge Cup title from June and the 2025 Championship. Amoros made the team's schedule particularly grueling by entering them in multiple international competitions.

Gotham played in the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup in January in England, the 2026 Concacaf semifinal and third-place match in May, and the domestic Challenge Cup in June. This schedule resulted in the team playing more matches than any other NWSL franchise this year.

Tierna Davidson, the team's co-captain, acknowledged the length of the campaign. "We've played soccer in a lot of countries," Davidson said. "We started Jan. 2 for preseason, so it's been a very long year. Very proud with everybody's contribution. It has taken every single person on our roster to get to this point."