Historic NWSL Championship Set: Washington Spirit vs Gotham FC

San Jose, California – The 2025 NWSL Championship is set to take place on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. ET at PayPal Park, featuring the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC. Both teams are vying for their second league title, making this a highly anticipated showdown.

The Spirit, having concluded the regular season as the No. 2 seed with a record of 12-8-6, overcame a key injury to star forward Trinity Rodman. In the playoffs, they displayed resilience, defeating Racing Louisville and the Portland Thorns to reach the final.

Meanwhile, Gotham FC, the eighth seed with a record of 9-9-8, made headlines by upsetting the top-seeded Kansas City Current and later eliminating the Orlando Pride. They aim to be the lowest seed ever to win the league title.

Main players to watch include Rodman, who has an uncertain future in the league, and Gotham’s Esther González, who scored 13 goals during the season. The Spirit have previously won the title in 2021 and were runners-up in 2016 and 2024.

The Spirit’s defensive play is fortified by goalie Aubrey Kingsbury, who has saved multiple penalty kicks this postseason. Gotham’s lineup boasts U.S. international Rose Lavelle and dynamic forward Jaedyn Shaw, who has been pivotal in their playoff run.

The game is also a rematch of the 2024 semifinal, where the Spirit edged out Gotham in a penalty shootout. With strong narratives driving the match, both teams come in motivated to claim victory and etch their names in NWSL history.