Juan Carlos Amoros led his Gotham FC team to the semi-finals of the NWSL play-offs on Sunday – shocking NWSL Shield winners and runaway league leaders Kansas City Current with a 2-1 win after extra-time.
The Current had equalised late on in normal time to force the additional half-hour – but Katie Stengel, formerly of Liverpool and Crystal Palace, scored the winner in the very last minute to stave off penalties and secure Gotham’s progress.
And former Tottenham Hotspur coach Amoros was asked afterwards what he said to his team before extra-time started.
“The longer the game went, the better we felt,” he said in a post-match press conference. “The more minutes we played, the more confident we were, because we back the people coming off the bench to help, and we back the way we play.
“Penalties, at the end of the day, are a bit of a lottery. So we wanted to make sure we got back to how we were playing. With people in different positions, we had to readjust certain things, but that’s why our style is so important – because when things get chaotic, you can fall back on it. I think that’s where the team really excelled today: the defending, the aggressiveness and the ability to keep play in the opponent’s half.
“They have certain tools, like Bia [Zaneratto], who’s unbelievable at holding the ball and relieving pressure. For us, it was about coming back to who we are, because we knew that’s what would carry us. That was the message – trust who we are and trust the people on the bench ready to come in and help.
“We made another move with Josefine [Hasbo], and we were debating one more, but in the end it was fantastic to see that goal go in.”
Katie Stengel: We are ready for the next round
Stengel said she was proud that the team had done so well against the Current, and that they had deserved their win.
“It got us to the next round. The best part about this game was seeing so much heart – everyone threw their bodies on the line, making a block, making a pass, doing whatever they had to do to make sure we won.
“It brings us that much closer together, and now we’re ready to fire and go into the next round.”
Gotham FC will now face Orlando Pride in the semi-finals next Sunday, 16th November.
