CJS Press Box

Photo Courtesy of Gotham FC Media

The streets of Harrison, New Jersey, turned sky blue on Saturday afternoon – the kind that only works with Gotham black on a bomber jacket – as Gotham FC fans swamped into Sports Illustrated Stadium for their first visit of the season against the North Carolina Courage.

A home opener was, of course, a festive panorama starting hours before the kick-off: tailgates in the parking lot, an inflatable arch at the entrance, an all-women drumline marching band a few steps behind the arch and Mr. and Mrs. Mets (the baseball-headed mascots for the New York Mets) at a photo stand. Inside, the pitch hosted members of the New York Sirens, Jonquel Jones of the New York Liberty and former Gotham player Ali Krieger, all to witness the 2025 championship banner rise and the champions being fitted with their rings.

Yet, among all thrills was an absence of a goal – the second game of the season ended with a scoreless draw between the Bats and the Lionesses. 

“I think it’s a very competitive game out there today, and we can all neutralize each other in a lot of phases, and we need somebody to make the difference, to be able to get those three points,” said head coach Juan Carlos Amorós in the press room. Though the two-in-a-row clean sheet, he added, did show a positive side of how the team plays. 

The Bats began the game aggressively, generating two shot attempts and one corner kick within the first seven minutes – and three fouls. Another attempt came in the 16th minute by midfielder Jaelin Howell outside of the box, as she received the pass through the tight Lionesses’ defense line, and missed. 

“Let’s go, Gotham!” the fans cheered and clapped repeatedly to invigorate the stadium, and it worked. The miss was soon followed by a chance created by two defenders: Lily Reale’s cross to Kayla Duran’s header – blocked. 

By the end of the first half, the Bats led in possession and goal attempts, but couldn’t change the zero on the scoreboard. 

“It can’t be the same story as last year, where we were struggling to score, and we know that as a team, so moving forward, we’re gonna continue to push for that,” said Howell in the post-match interview. 

Possession and shot creation continued for the Bats in the second half, but the Lionesses stepped up their attack, generating more chances around the box in the final 20 minutes. By then, forward Jordynn Dudley had completed her debut start and was substituted as captain and defender Tierna Davidson made her return after 385 days. 

When Davidson came onto the pitch in the 61st minute, she made an immediate impact, helping the team seize more control of the game, said Amorós.

In the 97th minute, midfielder Sofia Cook won a free kick in the attacking third – one last chance in stoppage time. A minute later, her left-footed shot went wide, followed by the referee’s whistle. 

Amorós said the team is still effectively in preseason. With February’s FIFA Women’s Champions Cup and a reshaped roster, the match against NC Courage marked just the second time the group had played together.

“We still have a lot of work to do,” he said, “but in the right direction.”

Along with Davidson’s return were four rookies added to the 2026 roster: forward Jordynn Dudley; midfielders Talia Sommer and Andrea Kitahata; and goalkeeper Teagan Wy. All four were included on the matchday roster, alongside a notable absence: star midfielder Jaedyn Shaw. Instead, she appeared on the morning availability report with a “questionable” hamstring injury.

The roster now includes a mix of young and veteran players ready to step in, Amorós said, noting that forward Katie Lampson “had a fantastic game tonight” filling in for Shaw.

“Unfortunate with that incident, obviously, we miss her, but we try to be prepared for any scenario,” he said. 

It was a callback to the club’s motto: “Always building, never finished,” a throughline both on and off the pitch. The same line appeared on X after the home opener, which kicked off their three-game homestand and drew a record crowd of 10,796. In the pregame intro, it flashed after a new message for the 2026 season: “We are a dynasty, loading.”

The reigning champions, currently sitting in third in the latest ESPN power ranking, will return to Sports Illustrated Stadium on Wednesday, March 25, to face Denver Summit – aiming for a result that keeps their dynasty in motion.