Gotham FC far from satisfied after claiming first NWSL Shield

Under the lights of Sports Illustrated Stadium, Gotham defender Tierna Davidson took the silver NWSL Shield from commissioner Jessica Berman’s hands Sunday evening.She shared it with Mandy Freeman and Midge Purce. On the count of three, the trio thrust the silver platter into the air.

Fireworks erupted behind the stage, offering a glittery backdrop to a historic moment. Gotham secured the club’s first NWSL Shield with a 2-0 win against the playoff-bound Utah Royals. “It’s a good feeling,” Purce said.“I mean, I like the Shield.

I’m American though.I want the championship.” Purce’s mentality is shared by the club, whose motto is “always building, never finished.” Gotham has been on an upward trajectory over the past few years.

They’ve earned the reputation of being the club no one wants to face in November, having won two of the past three NWSL championships, despite being the lowest playoff seed. But West made it clear before this season that the club had higher expectations for this season. “We want consistency,” Gotham FC president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch wrote in a letter to fans.“We want to be playing our best soccer in the playoffs, and we want our regular-season performance to reflect the championship standards we hold.” Gotham finished the regular season with an 18-5-7 record and 61 points, setting a new club record for points in a single season. The Shield is proof that Gotham was the most consistent club throughout the course of the 30-game season.

But Gotham is far from satisfied. “I think we did improve our consistency a lot this year, and we still can be such a better soccer team,” Averbuch West said.“We’re so proud of what we’ve done, and we still have our sights set on getting better and more consistent.” Purce’s fingerprints were all over Sunday’s success.

She booted an assist on Guro Reiten’s goal that gave the Bats an early 1-0 lead. Then, in the second half, she connected ...