Gotham FC, NJ/NY Gotham FC, Houston Dash, Red Bull Arena, NWSL, JSN
(Photo by Kaitlin Marold - JSN)

NJ/NY Gotham FC ends Dash undefeated streak in Home Opener

 

In their first match at Red Bull Arena in two years, Gotham FC opened their new home in style with a win over the Houston Dash.

It may have been a cool summer night in New Jersey, but things heated up quickly for the home squad offensively. It would be Gotham FC who would strike first in the 1st minute as Paige Monaghan would play a ball to Carli Lloyd, which would end up blocked. Gotham FC would continue to put pressure on the Houston defense when Evelyne Viens would have a volley just soared over the crossbar in the 9th minute.

Finally, it was in the 30th minute that Viens would find a wide open Midge Purce on a run. Purce would cut through the Houston backline and slot the ball just past the keeper for the only goal of the night.

In their two previous tries playing at Red Bull Arena, Gotham FC, then Sky Blue FC, had been unable to seal the victory.

“I’m very pleased with our performance, I think it was strong and we possessed the ball well. That was something we asked from the team to start the game, to improve our possession compared to some of our previous matches and I was pleased with our response. Credit to Houston, they came back in the second half and made it hard for us and created more opportunities. Overall, I’m really pleased to be able to get the first win at home in our league campaign," said Head Coach Freya Coombe.

The move to Red Bull Arena had been a long awaited one for the club, as they were unable to use the stadium for their 2020 season. “Being back at Red Bull is the best feeling in the world. When you walk into the arena, it’s just an incredible vibe that you get and the standard of professionalism. Honestly, this club and these girls deserve it, so having the fans and Cloud 9 cheering us on with their big banner, it was a really good feeling,” said Keeper Kailen Sheridan.

What's Next for Gotham FC?

Gotham FC will now turn it's attention to its first road game of the 2021 regular season when they travel to the midwest for a meeting with their rivals, the Chicago Red Stars. The match will air at 8pm ET on Paramount+ on Saturday, May 22.