Make New York Post a Preferred Source Around this time last year, Gotham FC forward Jaedyn Shaw made a bold proclamation.
“I’m sorry, but underdog, my ass,” she said moments after eighth-seeded Gotham pulled off an all-time playoff upset against the No. 1 Kansas City Current. “We’re not an underdog.”
Shaw’s statement became the rallying cry for Gotham’s second championship in three years.
Gotham is far from the underdog label now. It claimed the NWSL Shield by finishing first in the regular-season standings and won the in-season Challenge Cup. It is two wins away from achieving the league’s first-ever treble.
The road back to the top only gets more challenging as each week passes. Expect Sunday’s semifinals match between Gotham and the Current — which was moved to 5,000-seat Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island due to field-condition concerns at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J. — to be the next chapter in what’s emerged as a budding rivalry.
Gotham FC midfielder Jaedyn Shaw (10) controls the ball against Seattle Reign FC on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, in Harrison, New Jersey. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect “I feel like that’s a question for the fans,” she said. “I have no say in what is a rivalry and what’s not. … It’s just another game.”
But the growing history between the clubs suggests this game carries extra weight. Last November, Katie Stengel’s goal in the 121st minute lifted Gotham to a 2-1 quarterfinal win that crushed the Current’s historic season.
The two teams have met three times since, with Gotham owning a 2-1 edge. Gotham toppled the Current in the Challenge Cup in late June. It also beat Kansas City 2-1 in mid-August.
“We know them well, and they know us,” Shaw said. “It’s definitely a team that is difficult to play and have a certain style of play that is just they can really grind through a game and obviously in transition, they’re really effective in what they are trying to do so yeah, obviously a good game for us and we’re going to continue to try and get results there.”
The Current led NWSL with 54 goals. They play a high-tempo style — stretching opposing defenses with their speed — and possess lethal offensive firepower, led by striker Temwa Chawinga (12 goals) and midfielder Croix Bethune (record-setting 11 assists).
Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga (6) charges down the field against the Utah Royals in Sandy, Utah, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Gotham plays more calculated, possession-based and disciplined soccer. It allowed a league-low 23 goals.
“It’s always a really good match between us and them,” Davidson said. “I think it’s two high-quality teams with different personalities and different kind of vibes. And I think it always makes for a very interesting matchup.”
Gotham has graduated from chasing shadows to casting them. It has played with a target on their back all season as the defending champion. The pressure only grew as it sat at the top of the league standings.
As the spotlight got brighter, Gotham’s confidence never wavered. Shaw doesn’t expect that to change now.
“We worked our butts off to be in this position,” Shaw said. “It is obviously really great to be No. 1 and to have the confidence going into playoffs. … But I think for us, this league, anything can happen. I think for us, we are just attacking every game like we normally do and wanting to continue to get results for the next couple weeks.”
