Match Recap: Gotham FC Draws Racing Louisville 1-1 After Two Stoppage Time Goals

Midfielder Rose Lavelle scores game-tying goal in her Gotham FC debut

HARRISON, NJ – Gotham FC returned to Red Bull Arena on Sunday night with three highly anticipated player debuts during an end-to-end matchup that finished in a 1-1 draw against Racing Louisville. The match featured the season debuts of goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, and midfielders Sinead Farrelly and Rose Lavelle, with Lavelle netting the equalizer late in second half stoppage time. 
 
Offensively, Gotham FC outpaced Louisville in the first half, firing off eight shots with one on frame to Louisville’s three shots total – a testament to the home side’s defensive unit with Emily Sonnett and Sam Hiatt leading as center backs. The club also led Racing Louisville in possession (54%-46%), total passes (229-196), and dangerous attacks (34-7). 
 
Despite the offensive firepower, the match remained scoreless at halftime. 
 
Gotham FC started the second half with a continued offensive surge. In the 48th minute, Long Island, New York native and midfielder Crystal Dunn had a strong look at goal. After a deflection off Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund, Dunn took a shot that was blocked on the line by opposing defender Carson Pickett. 
 
Racing Louisville forward Uchenna Kanu nearly opened up the scoring in the 75th minute with a shot on an open goal, but her attempt veered just past the nearside post to keep the score even. In the 78th minute, Racing Louisville had another chance to score following a high powered shot from Louisville forward Reilyn Turner. However, Berger made a diving save towards the near post to avoid the score. 
 
In the 84th minute, Gotham FC had an equalizing chance of their own, when midfielder Yazmeen Ryan had a clean shot that nearly curled in for the score, missing just wide of the far post. 
 
The first goal of the match came in the fifth minute of second half stoppage time, when Louisville’s Turner took advantage of a ricocheted cross that she backheeled into the back of the net.
 
Then, two minutes later in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Gotham FC responded with a late equalizer from Lavelle. After a mis-clearance in the box, forward Ella Stevens toe poked it to Lavelle, who buried the shot first time. 
 
Racing Louisville had one last chance before the whistle blew, but Berger continued her strong debut with another diving save before the end of the match. 
 
In the draw, Gotham FC continued to lead the offensive categories, including possession (58%), completed passes (383), and total shots (19). 
 
Gotham FC will return home Saturday, May 4 to take on the North Carolina Courage at Red Bull Arena at 7:30 p.m. ET.  
 

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POSTGAME ASSETS 
 
QUOTES
Head Coach Juan Carlos Amoros
On the match…
Super proud of the performance of the team. I think when you go on a football pitch, you can’t ask them to do the stuff that they did today and play the way we played. We did dominate the game. We need to be better in front of goal. We know that waiting until the opposition scores to get that goal is something we need to get better at – the same with the play that they created  the chance that they scored [off of]. But it’s been really difficult weeks now for the team, having so many people out week in and week out.
 
On the season debut of Rose Lavelle…
Rose, we know what she can do. She’s a different player. She brings something different. She’s a special talent. She’s really adapting to the style. Today, she had only 50 min, and she got that goal. [I am curious as to] what she can do when we have her for a little bit longer, and what she’s able to do in those positions. [We are] super proud of her, and we were all very happy that she finally, after all this work, was able to [make her] debut.
 
Rose Lavelle
On her debut…
Yeah, it was fun. It’s a fun group to play with. [We have] A lot of really technical players, so I feel like we can find a lot of joy on the ball, which was fun. I think, obviously, we hope to be a little more clinical in the final third, finish chances, get more chances, and create more chances. But it was a fun game to start out, and it’s a really fun group to be a part of and play with.
 
On the atmosphere…
It was a nice little welcome. They were very, very nice fun to be a part of, I think when you have crowds like that, it makes playing the game so much more fun. We use that to propel us and build momentum. I think it really is kind of like a 12th man out there when you have fans in an atmosphere that has that. So once again, [it was] fun.
 
Key Match Notes

• Gotham FC remained undefeated at home in regular season play (0-0-2) and in their last three regular season home matches dating back to last year (0-0-3). Both of the teams that Gotham FC has tied this year, Kansas City Current and Racing Louisville, are still undefeated in league play.
• Gotham FC has now scored 299 goals in all competitions.
• Gotham FC made 160 passes in the final third of the field, the club’s most in 2024 and 97 more than Racing Louisville.
• Emily Sonnett completed 58 of her 65 pass attempts (89.2%).
• Katie Stengel played 45 minutes to go over 5,000 for her regular season career. She now has 5,026.
• Ann-Katrin Berger made her Gotham FC and NWSL debut in goal. She joins Nadine Angerer and Almuth Schult as the only Germans to start at goalkeeper in league play.
• Rose Lavelle made her Gotham FC debut as a substitute in the 74th minute and scored in the 97th minute. She joins Kelly Conheeney, Natasha Kai, Sam Kerr, Kristie Mewis, Midge Purce, Katie Stengel and Lynn Williams as the only players to score in their first regular season match for the club.
• Ella Stevens earned her first Gotham FC assist on Rose Lavelle’s goal.
• Sinead Farrelly came on in the 89th minute for her first appearance of 2024.

MATCH SUMMARY
Gotham FC vs. Racing Louisville
April 28th, 2024 – Red Bull Arena
 
Goals by Half               1       2          F
Gotham FC                    0       1          1 
Racing Louisville            0      1          1
 
Scoring Summary:
NJY: Rose Lavelle (90+8′) (Ella Stevens)
LOU: Reilyn Turner (90+6′)
 
Misconduct Summary:
NJY: Yellow Card: Nealy Martin (48′), Emily Sonnett (70′), Rose Lavelle (90+11′)
LOU: Yellow Card: Savannah DeMelo (53′)
 
Lineups:
NJY: Ann-Katrin Berger, Bruninha, Emily Sonnett,  Sam Hiatt, Nealy Martin (Sinead Farrelly 89′), Delanie Sheehan, Yazmeen Ryan, Jenna Nighswonger, Lynn Williams (C) (Rose Lavelle 74′), Crystal Dunn (Ella Stevens 74′), Esther (Katie Stengel 46′)
 
LOU: Katie Lund, Lauren Milliet, Carson Pickett, Arin Wright, Abby Erceg, Jaelin Howell (C) (Marisa DiGrande 26′), Taylor Flint, Ary Borges (Emma Sears 60′) , Uchenna Kanu (Parker Goins 90′), Savannah DeMelo (Kayla Fisher 78′), Elexa Bahr (Reilyn Turner 60′)