Sports Desk – Gotham FC will face Seattle Reign FC in the quarterfinals of the 2026 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Playoffs on Sunday, November 8, at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET, as the top-seeded Gotham FC begins its postseason campaign on home turf. Gotham enters the playoffs following a historic regular season in which the club captured its first-ever NWSL Shield, awarded to the league’s regular-season champion.

The New Jersey-based club finished the regular season with 61 points, recording 18 wins, five draws, and seven losses. Securing the No. 1 seed gives Gotham home-field advantage for both the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. Seattle Reign, meanwhile, finished eighth in the standings with 47 points from 14 wins, five draws, and 11 losses. Seattle secured its playoff berth with a 1-0 victory over the Orlando Pride on Decision Day.

Gotham FC won both regular-season meetings against Seattle this year. Their most recent encounter in July produced an exciting 3-2 victory for Gotham on the road. Rose Lavelle scored the dramatic winning goal eight minutes into second-half stoppage time. Despite Gotham’s advantage in their recent meetings, Seattle will enter Sunday’s contest looking to upset the top seed and advance to the semifinals. Gotham, the reigning NWSL champion, will look to capitalize on its home-field advantage and continue its pursuit of another league title.

Sunday’s quarterfinal will be broadcast nationally on ABC and ESPN Deportes. The match will also be available through the ESPN App for eligible subscribers. The 2026 NWSL Playoffs feature eight qualifying teams competing in a knockout format. The four quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals, scheduled for November 14-15.

The 2026 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel, is scheduled for Saturday, November 21, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. With its first-ever Shield secured and the No. 1 playoff seed in hand, Gotham FC will now turn its attention to Seattle, aiming to keep its championship ambitions alive and defend its NWSL title.

HARRISON, N.J. – Gotham FC made history on Sunday by winning its first-ever NWSL Shield after defeating the Utah Royals 2-0 in the final match of the 2026 regular season. Playing at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, Gotham delivered a strong performance to secure the top position in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) standings. Guro Reiten opened the scoring in the ninth minute, giving Gotham an early advantage. The home side maintained its 1-0 lead through the remainder of the first half.

Gotham continued to press after the break, looking to extend its advantage. The breakthrough came in the 80th minute when Jaedyn Shaw scored the second goal, converting an assist from Midge Purce to seal the 2-0 victory. The result lifted Gotham to 61 points for the regular season, securing the NWSL Shield, awarded to the team with the league’s best regular-season record.

The achievement also earned Gotham the No. 1 seed in the 2026 NWSL Playoffs, giving the club home-field advantage in both the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. The historic title marks a major milestone for the New Jersey-based club. In its 13-year history in the league, no previous Gotham squad had finished higher than third in the regular-season standings.

The Shield is Gotham’s fifth major trophy in the past three years, highlighting the club’s remarkable rise in women’s soccer. Gotham also qualified for the NWSL playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, extending the club’s best postseason streak. With the regular-season title secured, Gotham now turns its attention to the playoffs, where the club will look to build on its historic achievement and pursue another championship.