New Jersey/New York Gotham FC upset both the North Carolina Courage and defending champion Portland Thorns in the first two rounds of the playoffs to advance to the NWSL championship game. The Gotham overcame a battle against the favored Courage and then the Thorns, who feature Golden Boot winner Sophia Smith. However, the Gotham FC players aren't surprised they've advanced this far.

Gotham star Kelley O'Hara says the team knew their potential before the 2023 season even began, thanks to first-year coach Juan Carlos Amorós. Gotham FC hired Amorós, the former Houston Dash interim coach after he led the Dash to their first playoff appearance in franchise history. In his first season as the Gotham FC coach, Amorós turned the team from having the worst record in 2022 into a playoff team about to compete for the NWSL championship. Earlier this week, his transformation of the Gotham FC earned him the NWSL Coach of the Year award.

“Honestly the first day that we got together as a group at the training facility and Juan went through his vision of the team, how the season was going to go, his playing style and what he wanted from us, I was like, ‘Wow. This is the first time I've sat in a room the first day of season and been like we could win a championship,'” via Just Women's Sports on X.

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Kelley O'Hara's comments mean a lot, given she has previously won an NWSL championship in 2021 with the Washington Spirit. She was Gotham FC's big offseason addition after spending the last two years with the Spirit. Now, she's getting set to compete for her second championship.