Credit The Equalizer
By Juan Carlos Maygua
The Challenge Cup concluded with two of the best teams of the tournament facing off in Portland, Oregon. Gotham FC came into the final after solid defensive performances throughout the tournament. The rebrand was one of the key talking points for them coming into their first-ever championship final, regardless of the outcome, this was an important step for them as a new franchise. Portland Thorns FC came in as the more experienced side in terms of finals. The championship game would showcase two teams that were hungry for a championship. Especially because this final was going to be broadcasted on national television.
Fighting until the end
Playing in a cup final is different from any other game from a tournament or a regular-season game. There is always that pressure of winning and achieving success or losing and going through disappointment. One thing is certain though, no team wants to lose a cup final, regardless of the sport. Gotham FC was faced with a challenging start after Christine Sinclair scored for Portland in the 6th minute of the first half. The home team set the tempo of the game after showcasing a high-pressure kind of game from the start. Gotham FC Struggled to make passes because of this high pressure from Portland Thorns FC, but they created dangerous chances through Caprice Dydasco. Her runs down the wing gave the team projection offensively. One way or another, the defensive line was going to be key once again for Gotham FC. In a contested first half Portland would have a match-defining moment in the closing minutes, with Lindsay Horan hitting her shot to the post.
In the second half not much changed in terms of how the game was played. Portland continued with their High pressing game, Gotham however, continued to focus their game on the wings. The talk at halftime changed things in the offensive aspect for Gotham FC. The team would find the equalizing goal after Carli Lloyd scored off of a header in the 61st minute. As I mentioned earlier the defense would play a big role, Mandy Freeman was an example of how solid the defense needed to be. Her awareness in difficult situations as well as good timing in her tackles proved valuable for the team. Freeman made a key intervention clearing a ball off the line in what could have been the game-winning goal for Portland. Although Gotham would also have a chance to finish off the match, Ifeoma Onomounu missed the target in the final play of the game.
It was established that if the game ended in a tie both teams would decide the championship with penalty kicks. In these types of situations, I believe that penalties can be unfair for the teams involved, but a winner had to be decided. Luck would be in Portland’s favor after Gotham missed a penalty in the “sudden death” round. By all means an unwanted result, but the team has yet to showcase their full potential. I’m sure Gotham FC will make a statement in the regular season.
Headcoach Freya Coombe acknowledged the difficulty of the game but pointed out how proud she was of the team. “We have a lot of room for growth, which is exciting. We did not perform the way that we wanted to today, but still being able to put a competitive game in a final is fantastic for us.”