It turned out that all Gotham FC needed to ignite its offense was a Rose Lavelle spark.
Lavelle, the USWNT midfielder who hadn’t played this season while recovering from a lower-leg injury, subbed in for the first time in the 74th minute, and in the final stretch of added time, less than two minutes after Racing Louisville FC took a one-goal lead, Lavelle deposited a ball off the post and into the net to secure a 1-1 draw for Gotham — and score their first goal since the 51st minute on April 14.
Gotham spent most of Sunday — from the opening minutes to the final desperation attacks at the end — controlling possession.
A dormant offense had a jolt, even before Lavelle entered.
It strung together shot attempts, and even though Louisville’s defenders managed to block some, the chances, at least, were promising for a group with just two goals through the first four games of the NWSL season.
Sixteen of Gotham’s 19 attempts turned into shots on goal, with Louisville managing just five, but in the 95th minute, as Gotham continued its push for the first tally, rookie Emma Sears collected possession in her own end and broke off down the left sideline.
She moved the ball around a Gotham tackle. Then, Sears maneuvered around Emily Sonnett and broke toward the goal. And after a centering pass was followed by one final touch, Louisville’s Reilyn Turner tapped the ball into the net.
That, in the moment, made Sunday’s match appear as if it would end with a similar result for Gotham. There were plenty of possible sparks for the reigning champs.
Lavelle made her team debut. Ann-Katrin Berger, acquired from Chelsea FC Women this month, made her Gotham debut at goalkeeper. None of that led to a goal at first, though.
Just after halftime, Gotham created an ideal opportunity. Racing Louisville FC keeper Katie Lund was out of position. The ball she dove and deflected had veered toward Yazmeen Ryan, but Ryan overran it.
Crystal Dunn had an open net, too, but Louisville’s Carson Pickett — a defender stationed right on the goal line — managed to redirect Dunn’s shot.
So that kept the game scoreless until Turner’s tally. That kept Gotham scoreless until Lavelle converted.
They weren’t able to channel the possession and the movement and the shots into just their second win of a title defense season. But in a campaign defined by injuries and a struggling offense, Lavelle’s goal — and her presence, too — was a start.
