Cup runners-up Gotham prepare for regular season opener against Houston
Carli Lloyd and the newly-rebranded side look to build on good preseason form
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Photo by Howard Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Tonight NJ/NY Gotham FC will open their 2021 regular season at home against the Houston Dash, their first league game under their new rebrand.
The opener will come on the heels of a heartbreaking Challenge Cup final defeat to the Portland Thorns last weekend in Oregon, a loss that saw Gotham come, literally, within a fingertips reach of the trophy. A Carli Lloyd goal would be the only one for the Harrison side in the ninety minutes of regular time, canceling out Christine Sinclair’s early opener for the Thorns, as the game headed to penalties locked at 1-1. The ensuing shootout brought plenty of nerves- but in the end it was Adrianna Franch’s decisive save on Nahomi Kawasumi’s effort that clinched the title for Portland after seven nervy rounds.