The NWSL’s 2023 championship match was held in San Diego, but perhaps it would have been more fitting to have it played up the California coast in Hollywood. There were plotlines galore as Gotham FC pulled off an underdog victory against OL Reign.
The match was dramatic enough, Gotham hanging on to a 2-1 win despite defender Nealy Martin going in goal for the closing minutes after goalkeeper Mandy Haught was dismissed.
The winners’ story arc was just as compelling. Gotham were a league embarrassment three years ago and finished bottom as recently as last season. Though aided by a system that allows the sixth-placed team in a12-team competition to
