"Sadly, the Spirit was plagued by injuries both before and during the game. Trinity Rodman had been limited through the playoffs after recovering from an MCL sprain, and though she came on in the 57th minute, she struggled to make anything happen and appeared to be in a lot of pain at one point. Rodman said that she "definitely underperformed" after the game and appeared incredibly emotional."
"The Spirit's defending midfielder Hal Hershfelt sustained a left ankle injury past the 70-minute mark, and coach Adrián González himself later admitted she should have been subbed out then and there. Instead, Hershfelt limped off the field, where she remained for a few minutes (forcing the Spirit to play down a player). Within minutes of her return, during which she was clearly still in pain, Lavelle scored."
"It's a huge bummer for the Spirit, but a helluva story for Gotham FC. Not only did they manage to claw their way to the top, but their win was historic-they got their second NWSL title in three years. Also, defender Jess Carter, who helped the Lionesses win the Euros earlier this year, is the first player to win a European and U.S. title in the same year."
Rose Lavelle scored the only goal in the 80th minute from a wild cross by Bruninha, securing a 1-0 victory for Gotham FC over the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Final. Bruninha entered in the second half after Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale received a yellow card. The Spirit entered and played the match hampered by injuries: Trinity Rodman, returning from an MCL sprain, came on in the 57th minute but struggled and called her performance "definitely underperformed"; the team's defensive midfielder Hal Hershfelt sustained a left-ankle injury after the 70th minute and briefly left the field. Gotham claimed its second NWSL title in three years, Jess Carter became the first player to win European and U.S. titles in the same year, and Lavelle was named championship MVP.
Read at Jezebel
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