US star Rose Lavelle scores late to give Gotham FC another NWSL title

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Rose Lavelle already was a queen of international football.

Now she is finally an NWSL champion after leading Gotham FC to the title, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit on Saturday.

The 30-year-old U.S. women's national team star fired home an 18-yard left-footed shot in the 80th minute. Bruninha, who came off the bench in the second half, dribbled the ball down the left flank and rolled the ball across the top of the box. Lavelle ran onto it from the right side and blasted a shot into the left side of the net.

Washington had a chance to equalize in the third minute of second-half stoppage time when Gotham goalie Ann-Katrin Berger spilled an attempted catch outside the 6-yard box. The Spirit's Paige Metayer was first to the ball, but her right-footed shot went wide to the left.

Gotham FC completed a surprise run through the playoffs after sneaking in as the eighth and final seed. They upset the top-seeded Kansas City Current in quarterfinals 2-1 with a goal in the 121st minute before edging the fourth-seeded Orlando Pride 1-0 in the semifinals on a goal in second-half stoppage time.

Lavelle starred for the U.S. women's national team when it won the 2019 Women's World Cup in France, scoring a goal in the final, and she added a gold medal to her trophy case at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her only previous appearance in an NWSL final came with OL Reign in 2023, when they lost 2-1 to Gotham in the final despite a goal from Lavelle.

The Cincinnati, Ohio native was named Most Valuable Player of the finals.

On Saturday, Lavelle knocked the opening kickoff a few yards forward, and teammate Jaedyn Shaw ran onto it and immediately booted a shot toward the Washington goal, with Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury far off her line. Had the attempt been on target, Gotham would have been ahead within five seconds, but the ball sailed harmlessly wide of the left goalpost.

Then in the fifth minute, Gotham striker Esther Gonzalez put another scare into the Spirit when she appeared to score, but the play was called back for an offside call.

Neither team had another significant chance until the 45th minute, when Shaw chested down the ball to Gonzalez near the penalty spot. Gonzalez nearly had an open look at the net, but Washington defender Tara McKeown made a last-ditch block.

Washington got its first corner kick of the night in the 67th minute, then had two more in quick succession but didn't generate a scoring opportunity from any of them.

The game might have been the NWSL farewell for Washington striker Trinity Rodman.

Rodman entered to a roar from the crowd in the 57th minute. She was out for a month due to a knee injury before returning to the field for the final few minutes of the Spirit's 2-0 win over the Portland Thorns in the semifinals last weekend.

On Saturday, Rodman wore a wrap around her right knee and did not appear to be running at full strength.

The 23-year-old U.S. women's national team forward is weighing offers from teams in other leagues, even as NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman vowed Thursday that her league will "fight" to retain her.

Gotham FC won the title for the second time, adding to its 2023 crown. The Spirit, who won their lone championship in 2021, fell in the final for the second year in a row.

--Rick Kaplan, Field Level Media