The last time Rose Lavelle scored in an NWSL Championship, she was on the losing side, a member of the Seattle Reign team that lost to Gotham in 2023.

A Rose on any other team is an MVP.

For the second time, Gotham FC are the NWSL Champions, defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0. Gotham is now two-for-two in the Championship match. Lavelle’s goal earned her MVP honors – and her first NWSL Championship.

It took until the 80th minute for someone to break a scoreless, but heated, match. Bruninha’s fancy footwork on the left side of the box bought Lavelle time to get in place before nailing it home past a diving Aubrey Kingsbury.

The pressure from Gotham started almost immediately. With possession to start the first half, Gotham launched the ball from midfield down to the 18-yard box. It was an aggressive approach that ties back to GM Yael Averbuch West, who scored the fastest goal in NCAA history by the same method.

And that single play is emblematic of Gotham’s win – constant pressure.

Emily Sonnett was part of that Seattle Reign team that lost in 2023, but she and Lavelle are both on the right side of the game this time around.

No one in the league has more playoff minutes than Sonnett. She is now a three-time NWSL Champion, but this is her first with Gotham. Sonnett’s experience is invaluable to this Gotham team, GM Yael Averbuch West said.

“She deserves more recognition than maybe she's gotten,” Averbuch West said at NWSL media day. “She’s an important force for us in the field, and a huge leader for us in terms of the example she sets and how she plays a game.”

In front of a sold out crowd at PayPal Park in San Jose, the players of Gotham danced in the streamers soaking up the moment. The No. 8 seed, but not the underdog. No, those are champions.