**HARRISON, N.J.** – Gotham FC earned an impressive 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit on Wednesday night to start off its 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup campaign the right way. The hosts were delivered by a second half goal from forward Lynn Williams, who sunk Washington’s spirits with her strike just before the hour mark.
Gotham FC were the more aggressive in attack from the outset, with the first real look of the match following forward Lynn Williams’s way in the 27 ^th minute. Receiving a pass just outside the 18-yard box, Williams opened her body and attempted to a curl a right-footed effort toward the top corner only to send it both high and wide. Then, 10 minutes later, Williams tried a similar effort from a similar position and angle after receiving a quick one-two pass with teammate Kristie Mewis, but though her effort this time was on target it did not have enough bend to beat Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury.
The best chance for the Spirit in the first half came late on as midfielder Marissa Sheva nearly got on the end of a cross in first half stoppage. On the ball near the right side of midfield was Washington midfielder Paige Metayer, and lifting her head, she opted to swung in a curling cross with her right foot. The in-swinging cross somehow found its way all the way to the back post where Sheva attempted to run onto it, but she could not make enough proper contact to redirect the ball into the back of the net.
Two minutes into the second half, Washington tried to capitalize on a hot restart with forward Nicole Douglas playing a one-two with teammate Civana Kuhlmann before forcing a good save out of Gotham goalkeeper Mandy Haught at the near post. Kuhlmann had spotted the return run of Douglas who made her way into the penalty area in possession, but when she attempted to squeeze an effort past Haught from a few yards away the goalkeeper was equal to it and pushed it out of play to preserve the clean sheet.
Gotham would slowly turn momentum back in its favor over the next few minutes, and forward Lynn Williams struck in the 56 ^th minute to open the scoring and give the hosts their all-important first goal of the competition. Gotham’s patient play in the penalty area saw the ball touch the feet of a few different players on its way to Mewis dead center of the box. Mewis then laid the ball off to Williams next to her, and Williams slotted a left-footed shot to the far post and in to put her side ahead.
The hosts continued to put pressure on the Washington goal as the second half continued, with midfielders Allie Long and McCall Zerboni coming close within a span of five minutes in the second half. First, in the 74 ^th minute, a cross into the penalty area was knocked down to the feet of Long. Long then toe poked a shot toward goal as she attempted to find just enough space to beat Kingsbury, but the goalkeeper was able to smother the chance. Then, in the 78 ^th minute, Zerboni received a pass on the run into the box and rolled a low shot toward the far post that actually end up clipping the post on its way back into play where Washington eventually got it away.
From there, Washington had a brief look at goal through a run by Kuhlmann in the 81 ^st minute, though she was eventually whistled for a foul on Haught. Then, chances for forwards Midge Purce, Ifeoma Onumonu, and Jenna Nighswonger were all denied as Gotham’s search for a second goal came up short. However, at the sound of the fulltime whistle, it would still end up being a first Challenge Cup victory for Gotham.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights