SAN JOSE, Calif. — All Gotham FC needed was one big moment.

One perfectly timed strike in what had been a mostly balanced, physical battle against the Washington Spirit on Saturday night.

That time came late in the second half.

Bruninha danced with the ball waiting to attack before passing the ball across the front of the box.

Rose Lavelle stepped in and took a one-time strike, sending the ball past Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury to give Gotham the 1-0 lead in the 80th minute.

It was her second career goal in a championship game.

Gotham FC celebrates after winning the NWSL title on Nov. 22. Getty Images

Her first coincidentally came in 2023 against Gotham FC.

And Lavelle’s lone goal ultimately was enough to clinch Gotham’s second championship in three years.

Just two days prior, Midge Purce couldn’t believe Lavelle, a World Cup and Olympic champion, had yet to win an NWSL title over the course of her eight seasons in the league.

It’s one of the only accomplishments missing from her stacked résumé.

“Does she not have one?” Purce asked a group of reporters. “Oh Rosie, I didn’t even realize.”

“I’ve been playing with Rose for over 10 years,” Purce continued. “And I adore playing with her and I adore her off the field. I definitely want to lift that trophy.”

On Saturday, Lavelle had her moment.

When the final whistle blew, Jaelin Howell fell to the ground, her hands on her head in disbelief of what Gotham FC had just done.

Lavelle was one of the first players to Howell.

She — along with a herd of other Gotham FC players — pulled Howell onto her feet.

They jumped around, screamed and cheered.

It was easy to make comparisons to Gotham FC’s 2023 title run to this year’s postseason.

Gotham FC defender Bruninha celebrates after winning the NWSL title on Nov. 22. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Two years ago, Gotham FC earned the final playoff spot and penned a magical Cinderella story to win the franchise’s first championship.

Similar to that run, Gotham clinched the eighth and final seed in this year’s field.

But Gotham felt and looked very different this time around.

There weren’t many holdovers from that 2023 team.

The roster had seen a lot of turnover over the past two seasons as the team shored up its depth.

Gotham FC may have been disappointed — even frustrated — that they failed to secure better seeding at the end of the 2025 regular season.

Gotham FC celebrates after winning the NWSL title on Nov. 22. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

And sure, outsiders may have been quick to write them off, especially considering the path back to the NWSL championship was steep.

But it didn’t deter Gotham FC.

They went to Kansas City and knocked off the runaway Shield winners in the quarterfinals.

Then, they traveled to Orlando and topped the defending champion Pride in the semifinals before beating the Spirit Saturday.

Underdogs?

More like top dogs.

That’s what Gotham FC proved Saturday night.

Gotham FC celebrates after a goal against the Washington Spirit on Nov. 22. AP

It was fitting that Gotham’s last battle was against the Spirit, who ended their pursuit of back-to-back titles in last year’s semifinals.

This match was personal.

The Spirit and Gotham know each other well.

No teams had played each other more in league history than these two.

Gotham’s press had the Spirit on their heels in the first half.

They were aggressive but intentional, and frustrated Washington with their attack.

Jaedyn Shaw fired off several shots early. Esther González found the back of the net within the first five minutes, too, but it was waved off because of offsides.

The battle got physical and, at times, fiery.

The game was scoreless at halftime.

Rose Lavelle celebrates after her NWSL title-clinching goal in Gotham FC’s 1-0 win over the Spirit on Nov. 22, 2025. AP

Emily Sonnett put her body on the line early in the second half as she slid to stop Leicy Santos’ goal attempt in front of Gotham’s net like a hockey player.

González fired a rocket but it was into Kingsbury’s hands.

Then Bruninha found Lavelle for the win.

The exciting prospect for Gotham FC is that they’re well equipped to keep this championship window wide open for years to come.

Juan Carlos Amorós — only the fourth NWSL coach to win multiple titles — is locked in through 2029 after signing a contract extension earlier this year.

Shaw, Lavelle, Ann-Katrin Berger, González and Lilly Reale are all expected to be back, too, according to Spotrac’s database.

But the future doesn’t matter quite yet.

Gotham FC want to bask in the present and savor this sweet win.