Latest news with #EstherGonzález
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The 3️⃣ standout players from Spain's win over Belgium
The team led by Montse Tomé defeated the 'Red Devils' 5-1 with outstanding individual performances. The women's 'La Roja' did not slip up against Belgium: they won with a sensational thrashing at The King Power At Den Dreef Stadium and took a giant step towards the Final Four of the UEFA Women's Nations League. Montse Tomé's team will seek their ticket this Tuesday, June 3, against England in Cornellá. Here are the three protagonists of a key victory... Esther González, synonymous with goals A player who was once left out of the squad, but on her return to the national team has shown she has an innate ability to score. She may not be the most technical or the fastest, but she has a very evident killer instinct. She nearly got a hat-trick with a shot that hit the post. Athenea del Castillo, the 'X' factor She came off the bench but quickly joined the party. She assisted Esther on the second goal and then scored her own brace in less than a minute. A decisive player, she is aiming to earn a spot in the starting eleven ahead of the Euro in Switzerland. Alba Redondo and the finishing touch She didn't stay behind and also scored her goal. She needed just over four minutes on the pitch to take advantage of a mid-height cross from Salma Paralluelo and seal the "manita" for the Spanish team. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 JOHN THYS - AFP or licensors
New York Post
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Gotham FC ‘over the moon' after securing place as global heavyweight with Concacaf Champions Cup win
NJ/NY Gotham FC secured their place among the global women's soccer heavyweights this weekend when they won the inaugural Concacaf Women's Champions Cup. They were crowned the best team in North America, Central America and the Caribbean after beating Mexico-based club Tigres UANL in the tournament's championship game Saturday night. Gotham FC's offense was relentlessly attacking and frustrating the Tigres. Advertisement Ultimately, Esther González's second-chance goal in the 82nd minute was all Gotham needed to secure the 1-0 win in Monterrey, Mexico. 4 Gotham FC players celebrate after winning the Concacaf Women's Champions Cup on May 24. Shutterstock 'It's a historic moment for the Concacaf and for women's football in this part of the world,' Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós said after the win. 'It was the whole target at the beginning of the year — not only to come here and compete, but to come here and win.' Amorós said the team was 'over the moon' that it did just that. Advertisement Gotham recorded 23 shots, with seven on goal, while the Tigres registered only seven shots, none on target. González scored the winning goal when she found the back of the net off a rebound after her penalty kick was initially stopped. 'We really left it all out there and everyone really fought hard to the end,' defender Mandy Freeman told reporters. 'We deserved the win and we really earned it.' Advertisement 4 Gotham FC players react after winning the Concacaf Women's Champions Cup on May 24. REUTERS Gotham took pride in knowing they were bringing the inaugural regional championship trophy to the NWSL. 'It's always great to win a trophy with your team this early in the season, and I think this will help us going into our league games,' midfielder Jaelin Howell told reporters. 'It's great to win as a team and represent NWSL in this way.' Not only did the Concacaf Women's Champions Cup victory present Gotham, the 2023 NWSL champions, their second major trophy in two years, but it also secured them a spot in what's considered to be the top two women's club competitions in the world — the new 2026 FIFA Women's Champions Cup and the first FIFA Women's Club World Cup in 2028. Advertisement 4 Esther Gonzalez scored Gotham's only goal during their Concacaf Women's Champions Cup win on May 24. AP Gotham join Arsenal, who won the UEFA Women's Champions League Final on Saturday, as the only teams to have secured outright spots in the 2026 FIFA Women's Champions Cup semifinals in January. Wuhan Jiangda from China and Auckland United from Oceania have qualified for play-in games. The final two open spots are for South America and Africa. For now, Gotham are going to savor Saturday's win. 4 Gotham FC players celebrate with their medals after winning the Concacaf Women's Champions Cup win on May 24. AP 'It's really an honor to be walking back with a trophy and we're just glad to have been able to contribute on the field and go to the Club World Cup for the first time,' forward Sarah Schupansky told reporters. 'That's an incredible step forward for women's football and it's going to be really, really fun.' Gotham are set to return to NWSL June 7, when they host the KC Current at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gotham FC wins inaugural Concacaf Champions Cup with 1-0 victory over Tigres UANL
Gotham FC clinched the first-ever Concacaf W Champions Cup with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Tigres UANL in Monterrey, Mexico, on Saturday night, bringing the regional club tournament title to the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It is the club's first major trophy since winning the 2023 NWSL championship. The game's only goal came in the 82nd minute, when Gotham striker and NWSL Golden Boot frontrunner Esther González went to convert a penalty, after Tigres defender Jimena Lápez was caught holding and shoving Gotham center back Emily Sonnett in the box before a corner kick. Tigres keeper Itzel González blocked the shot, but this time, Esther González recycled the opportunity for higher value, rebounding the ball and knocking it into the back of the net. Advertisement Both sides had created promising scoring opportunities early in the match that tested the back lines, but none were successful until the final few minutes. In first-half stoppage time, Itzel González saved a penalty taken by Gotham striker Midge Purce to keep the score at zero. The Tigres-heavy crowd at the Estadio Universitario pulsed with energy as every crunching tackle or tricky call was met with an impassioned response. And there was a considerable amount of that; Tigres committed 12 fouls by the end of the match while Gotham committed 14. Gotham finished the game having taken 23 shots, seven of which were on target. 'I feel like we really left it all out there and everyone really fought hard to the end,' Gotham defender and team captain Mandy Freeman said. 'We deserved the win, and we really earned it.' Advertisement Gotham secured their place in the final with a 3-1 win over Club América on Wednesday's semi-final, which featured goals from Brazilian forward Geyse and Purce. (The third was an own goal.) The Portland Thorns, who lost to Tigres in their semi-final, beat América 3-0 in the bronze medal match on Saturday afternoon. 'I think this has been three years in the making and to finally have this moment to celebrate,' Freeman said. 'I mean, it's still not over, we still have the Women's [Club] World Cup championship, but right now we're really happy and excited.' Ahead of Saturday night's championship, Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós also acknowledged the team's three-year project coming to fruition in this tournament. 'We've been working incredibly hard — some of us for three seasons, if you include the [2023 NWSL] Championship year — to be here in May, with the chance to lift the trophy next to us and write our name into the history of the game,' he said. Advertisement Lifting their first trophy since 2023 could provide Gotham with the boost it needs to climb back up the NWSL table. They currently sit in ninth place, just outside of playoff contention, level on points with Bay FC and the North Carolina Courage, who play on Sunday. The FIFA Women's Club World Cup, originally set to debut in 2026, has been delayed until 2028. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Gotham FC, Soccer, International Football, NWSL 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Gotham FC wins inaugural Concacaf Champions Cup with 1-0 victory over Tigres UANL
Gotham FC clinched the first-ever Concacaf W Champions Cup with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Tigres UANL in Monterrey, Mexico, on Saturday night, bringing the regional club tournament title to the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It is the club's first major trophy since winning the 2023 NWSL championship. Advertisement The game's only goal came in the 82nd minute, when Gotham striker and NWSL Golden Boot frontrunner Esther González went to convert a penalty, after Tigres defender Jimena Lápez was caught holding and shoving Gotham center back Emily Sonnett in the box before a corner kick. Tigres keeper Itzel González blocked the shot, but this time, Esther González recycled the opportunity for higher value, rebounding the ball and knocking it into the back of the net. Both sides had created promising scoring opportunities early in the match that tested the back lines, but none were successful until the final few minutes. In first-half stoppage time, Itzel González saved a penalty taken by Gotham striker Midge Purce to keep the score at zero. The Tigres-heavy crowd at the Estadio Universitario pulsed with energy as every crunching tackle or tricky call was met with an impassioned response. And there was a considerable amount of that; Tigres committed 12 fouls by the end of the match while Gotham committed 14. Gotham finished the game having taken 23 shots, seven of which were on target. Esther González is the Superior Player of the Match presented by Michelob Ultra for her title-winning goal for Gotham! 🏅 — Concacaf W (@ConcacafW) May 25, 2025 'I feel like we really left it all out there and everyone really fought hard to the end,' Gotham defender and team captain Mandy Freeman said. 'We deserved the win, and we really earned it.' Gotham secured their place in the final with a 3-1 win over Club América on Wednesday's semi-final, which featured goals from Brazilian forward Geyse and Purce. (The third was an own goal.) The Portland Thorns, who lost to Tigres in their semi-final, beat América 3-0 in the bronze medal match on Saturday afternoon. 'I think this has been three years in the making and to finally have this moment to celebrate,' Freeman said. 'I mean, it's still not over, we still have the Women's [Club] World Cup championship, but right now we're really happy and excited.' Ahead of Saturday night's championship, Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós also acknowledged the team's three-year project coming to fruition in this tournament. 'We've been working incredibly hard — some of us for three seasons, if you include the [2023 NWSL] Championship year — to be here in May, with the chance to lift the trophy next to us and write our name into the history of the game,' he said. Advertisement Lifting their first trophy since 2023 could provide Gotham with the boost it needs to climb back up the NWSL table. They currently sit in ninth place, just outside of playoff contention, level on points with Bay FC and the North Carolina Courage, who play on Sunday. The FIFA Women's Club World Cup, originally set to debut in 2026, has been delayed until 2028.
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Gotham FC hopes to capture first Concacaf W Champions Cup — and snap scoreless skid
Gotham FC haven't scored in nearly a month. But a trophy is within reach. This week brings a trip to Mexico to try to capture the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup, a tournament comprising club teams from the region of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. It would be a nice piece of hardware to add to the cabinet alongside Gotham's 2023 NWSL crown. Gotham FC's leading scorer Esther González recently signed an extension. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images In Wednesday night's semifinals (7:30 p.m., Paramount+), they face Mexico's Club América, the runners-up last week in the second half of the Liga MX Femenil season, at the Estadio Universitario in the Monterrey area. 'I think it's going to be a very wild match,' Gotham forward and leading scorer Esther González, who recently signed a two-year contract extension, said Tuesday, via a translation. 'We've been preparing since the preseason, looking forward to this date. But I think we're prepared to face this rival. It will be tough, but we will try to get the best result and to win.' The international showdown comes amid a patch of dodgy league form for Gotham, who have sunk to eighth place in NWSL after going three straight games without a goal (one draw, two losses). 'It's similar to the start of the year when we didn't score many goals,' head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said after Friday's 1-0 loss to visiting San Diego. 'Then we went on a run where we were scoring for fun, as they say. Now we're in a different stretch again. So we look internally and make sure we are ready to score.' Gotham FC head coach Juan Carlos Amorós EM Dash-Imagn Images Gotham qualified for these semifinals by finishing second in the tournament's 10-team group stage last October (2W-2D-0L). That's before several influential players were on the roster — top rookies Sarah Schupansky and Lilly Reale still were in college. If Gotham advances, it would face the winner of the other semifinal between NWSL's Portland Thorns and Liga MX's Tigres UANL, which will be playing in its home stadium, known as El Volcán (the Volcano). 'Games like the past three only make us want to go into the next two even more aggressive and more excited to win and play our best style of soccer,' Schupansky said. 'We want to get back in the win column, whether that's in the league or in the tournament. I'm really excited. I know the team worked hard to get there.'
