NJ/NY Gotham FC will try to complete their Cinderella post-season in the NWSL championship this weekend.

Gotham FC will face the Washington Spirit in the championship game at 8 p.m. Saturday. But it has not been an easy path for Gotham. 

Going into the playoffs, Gotham was in eighth place, the last place that could make it into playoffs. After a mediocre 9-9-8 season, no one expected them to get past the first round. 

Their first upset came against the NWSL Shield Winner, the Kansas City Current. Gotham beat the Current 2-1 last weekend. 

KC Current earned the most points this season and had a 21-2-3 record. No one expected a first-round exit, but Gotham was not giving up. 

Gotham’s Jaedyn Shaw scored the first goal to give Gotham a second-half lead. The Current’s Ellie Wheeler then forced the game into overtime in the final minutes of regulation. But Katie Stengel of Gotham scored the game-winning goal in the first minute of overtime, and the Current was not able to equalize again. 

Fans thought that this upset would be a one-time thing, and Gotham’s playoff run would be over once they played the fourth-place team and defending champions, the Orlando Pride. 

Gotham went into that game with a lot to prove and their playoff run on the line. 

The game was scoreless until the 97th minute. Shaw scored in the last minutes of stoppage time, sending Gotham to the championship. 

Washington Spirit’s star Trinity Rodman is now back from injury, and she could be a problem for Gotham. Rodman is known for her skilled footwork, including her “Trin Spin,” and her constant goal contributions. 

It is uncertain who will win this game, as this is an unexpected matchup, but it will be very interesting to watch. The Saturday night game will air on CBS and Paramount+.