Credit: Gotham FC
By Juan Carlos Maygua
The Challenge Cup continued with the second game for Gotham F.C against North Carolina Courage. A match that saw some household names for women’s soccer. Brazil’s Debinha and three members of the USWNT, Margaret Purce, Lynn Williams with legend Carly Lloyd. In a match full of goals, both teams fought until the end to grab hold of first place of the division. The winner of the group will advance to the final in May.
The game
The highlight of the game in my opinion was Carly Lloyd. She not only scored a goal but was very active on the field for the full 90 minutes. The legend is close to reaching 39 years of age but proved that age is just a number, showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The legend was involved in the buildup for the game-winning goal. Although, the game MVP Margaret Purce was responsible for opening the way for Gotham FC with her solo run in the first goal. The second goal was a tap-in after a cross that was more like a shot to goal. She was close to a hat trick but her shot was blocked. Evelyne Viens scored the game-winning goal in the final minutes of the game. This result puts Gotham FC in the first place of the division.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the home team as North Carolina was able to put up a fight and even exposed some key flaws from Gotham FC. While it’s only the second game of the tournament the two goals from Debinha in the first half displayed mistakes in the defensive line of the team. Lynn Williams displayed her abilities against Gotham FC, the winger showcased why she is a key member of the national team. In summary, this was a game worth the scoreline. Two teams fighting until the end, despite small details that decided who would come out on top.
Margaret Purce spoke about the transition of the team name. She acknowledges that the switch from Sky Blue to Gotham FC is still something that she’s getting used to, but also pointed out that the team is strong enough to compete.