Did Gotham pull off the biggest NWSL Playoff upset ever?
Full Time: A show about women's soccer
The Athletic
4.8 • 756 Ratings
🗓️ 10 November 2025
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
For the first time in NWSL history, a No.8 defeated the top seed in the playoffs. But this wasn't just any top seed. This was a record-breaking Kansas City Current team that hadn't lost at home for 490 days. So, did NJ/NY Gotham FC pull off the biggest upset in NWSL history?
On this week's Full Time Review, Jillian Sakovits is joined by Tamerra Griffin, who was in Kansas City, to break down that extraordinary road victory. What was Gotham's game plan, and how was it so effective? How much did the absences of Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper affect the Current? Why does Jaedyn Shaw adamantly disagree with the "underdog" tag being given to Gotham?
PLUS: Analysis and reaction of every NWSL Playoff quarterfinal, including a check-in with Melanie Anzidei fresh from experiencing the Washington Spirit's shootout win over Racing Louisville, Marta and the emotion of Luana's brilliant penalty kick, and the emergence of Reilyn Turner as a Portland Thorns hero.
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HOST: Jillian Sakovits
GUESTS: Tamerra Griffin, Melanie Anzidei
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Referenced on the show:
Gotham FC upset No. 1 Current in NWSL quarterfinal — but don’t call them the ‘underdog’
Atlanta lands NWSL expansion franchise backed by Arthur Blank for record $165 million: Sources
Spirit’s mental preparation for the ‘unpredictable,’ helped secure another dramatic playoff win
The San Diego Wave are embracing the crests and troughs of their latest era in NWSL
NWSL commissioner on gender eligibility: ‘Our policy is our current practice’
Does home-field advantage matter in the NWSL playoffs?
18 months after cancer diagnosis, Luana scores late goal to help Pride advance to NWSL semifinals
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | But Tamara, when you think about this Kansas City team and the expectations, is 2025 a success for the Kansas City Current? |
| 0:12.8 | The players said yes. Flag Konanowski head coach of the Kansas City Current said yes. |
| 0:18.2 | You, I'm sure, are very familiar with the debate about which trophy sort of matters more, whether it's the Shield or the championship. |
| 0:26.7 | Of course, the Shield, the regular season record is by far more challenging and more impressive. We know that, but that's not how we measure sports in this country. |
| 0:51.1 | Hello, everybody. It's Jillian Sackavits. A very warm welcome to this very special and spicy NWSL playoff quarterfinal edition of Monday's full-time review. |
| 0:56.0 | On the show today, we'll be catching up with a couple of athletic reporters, including Tamara Griffin, |
| 1:01.3 | who was in Kansas City for the ultimate upset Gotham FC, upsetting the Kansas City Current. |
| 1:07.7 | And we'll also be joined by Melanie Ann today, who was in D.C. to witness the |
| 1:11.2 | Washington Spirits dramatic shootout win over playoff debutants racing Louisville. We'll also be getting |
| 1:16.6 | into all things MARTA, from RefCam to handing off the penalty kick to epic quotes everything, |
| 1:24.2 | as the Brazilian legend rolled back the years as well as talking about |
| 1:27.8 | these NWSL playoffs that delivered when it came to big moments and so much sporting emotion. |
| 1:33.9 | Oh, and P.S. Some news out of Atlanta. |
| 1:40.0 | Okay, let's get into your NWSL quarterfinal results from the weekend. It's official. We are down to |
| 1:46.5 | four teams and here is how it all shook out. The rating champions, the Orlando Pride, advanced |
| 1:51.9 | to the semifinals on Friday night, beating the Seattle Rane 2-0 at home in Florida. Haley McCutcheon, |
| 1:58.1 | now dubbed McClutchin by a play-by-play commentator Mike Watts. |
| 2:03.7 | Props, props for that one. |
| 2:04.8 | She opened the scoring in this game. |
| 2:06.8 | But this, the moment of the weekend, Luana. |
| 2:10.1 | In the final moments, sealed the win with a penalty kick. |
| 2:12.8 | The goal was Luana's first in the NWSL and came 18 months after she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. |
... |
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