OL Reign had no answer for the vastly improved offense that NJ/NY Gotham FC brought into Tacoma, Washington on Saturday afternoon in which the away side would dominate offensively and defensively in a 3-0 win for its first complete match of the season.
Offensively, Gotham FC would get the rout started with a goal from Ifeoma Onumonu in the 37th minute when she would dribble past the OL Reign keeper into an open net off a Midge Purce assist. Next, it would be Midge Purce to score off an a Nahomi Kawasumi assist in the 60th minute when she sprinted past the entire Reign backline and would chip the keeper to put Gotham up 2-0 shortly after halftime. Finally, Domi Richardson would close out the scoring for Gotham FC when she would get a breakaway and slot it past the keeper to make it 3-0 in the 85th minute.
"This game was gonna be a tough one regardless and it was nothing less than that. I think we capitalized on opportunities early and I think for me, my focus going into the game was be aggressive and be dangerous the entire game. As a team, a lot of our focus was going forward and trying to break those lines, penetrate, and get behind the backline. I think all three goals were very telling in that and we accomplished our goal," said Gotham FC forward Ifeoma Onumonu.
Helping to secure the win was the bend not break defense of Gotham FC led by veteran centerback, Gina Lewandowski, who after the late allowed goal in Orlando looked more focused than ever and it showed with the defensive earning yet another clean sheet.
"I thought we played amazingly well, I thought we managed the game well, I think we took our chances and looked a lot more threatening going forward. Credit to our forward line, our midfielders, they were really pressing and taking a little bit more risk which is great and something we highlighted in practice. Defensively, we were just really solid, our defenders were relentless, and put their bodies on the line. It was a really, really strong team performance," said Head Coach Freya Coombe.
Gotham FC will look to carry their momentum when they return home to face KC WoSo on July 2nd. That match is scheduled for a 7pm kickoff at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. Fans can see it in person as tickets are still available and on Paramount+.
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- NJ/NY Gotham FC gets back into playoff picture with drubbing of NC Courage - October 18, 2021
- Portland Thorns escape against NJ/NY Gotham FC - August 29, 2021
