Photo by: Handout Photo-USA TODAY Sports
September 16th marked a showdown between US National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) sides New York and New Jersey’s Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit in Harrison, New Jersey.
On opposing teams were two Ireland internationals, Marissa Sheva for the Spirit, and Sinead Farrelly for Gotham. Farrelly, who was listed as injured, was not included on the Irish team roster for the Nations League Window but played on the pitch against the Spirit.
Unlike her international counterpart, Sheva is on the roster for the Nations League’s first two group stage matches. These are against Northern Ireland on 23 September at the Aviva Stadium and against Hungary on 26 September in Budapest.
An Irish jersey swap 🇮🇪😊 pic.twitter.com/0l8K4PmjrV
— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) September 17, 2023
Two notable shots on goal were made by USWNT’s Trinity Rodman for the Spirit. One was however saved and the other proved to be too wide to find its way into the net.
The first point came from Gotham’s latest transfer and Spanish World Cup Winner, Esther Gonzalez 64 minutes into the game. Just 5 minutes later, Gonzalez stunned the crowd at her home debut with yet another goal, bringing the final match score to 2-0.
The match’s attendance was also a testament to the growth of women’s soccer in the US, with 50,000 spectators being present, a record number for Gotham.