Gotham FC Stuns Seattle Reign with Stoppage-Time Miracle at Icahn Stadium

FolioPitch.com – 19 July 2026 | In a match that will be remembered as one of the most thrilling comebacks in NWSL history, Fishel s first score not enough as Gotham makes dramatic 3-2 comeback in stoppage time. The Seattle Reign took a commanding 2-0 lead into the final ten minutes, only for NJ/NY Gotham FC to erupt with three unanswered goals in a breathtaking finish.

The night began with a two-and-a-half-hour weather delay that forced the game off its national TV window on ABC. When play finally commenced, Seattle struck first. In the 14th minute, Mia Fishel converted a penalty kick after Maddie Mercado was fouled in the box. It was Fishel’s first NWSL goal since joining the Reign from Chelsea in August 2025, and she became the 10th different player to score for Seattle this season. Fishel s first score not enough as Gotham makes dramatic 3-2 comeback in stoppage time would prove to be a cruel twist for the forward.

Mercado doubled the lead in the 22nd minute with her second goal in as many matches, assisted by Maddie Dahlien. The Reign looked in control, and Dahlien had a chance to make it 3-0 from the penalty spot in the 57th minute, but her shot clattered off the post. That miss loomed large as Gotham began its surge.

In the 81st minute, Spanish forward Esther González pulled one back, finishing a Jaedyn Shaw cross at the back post. Then, four minutes into stoppage time, the duo combined again: Shaw chested down a ball for González to slot home from close range, leveling the score at 2-2. The comeback was complete in the eighth minute of stoppage time when former Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle curled a left-footed shot past Seattle goalkeeper Cassie Miller after a run from substitute Sam Kerr.

The win vaults Gotham into first place in the NWSL standings. Coach Juan Carlos Amorós called the victory “extremely remarkable” given the circumstances—a weather delay, a midweek rivalry win at Citi Field, and a two-goal deficit. The dramatic finish echoes a similar comeback from August 2017, when Kerr scored four goals in a 5-4 win over Seattle. This time, Fishel s first score not enough as Gotham makes dramatic 3-2 comeback in stoppage time, and the Reign were left to rue missed chances.

Seattle played without captain Sofia Huerta and starting goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, who was available on the bench but did not play. Jess Fishlock made her return from injury in the 83rd minute, but could not prevent the collapse. The Reign will look to regroup after a result that seemed certain to be a victory turned into heartbreak.

In the end, Fishel s first score not enough as Gotham makes dramatic 3-2 comeback in stoppage time encapsulates the night for Seattle: a landmark goal for Fishel overshadowed by a stunning Gotham rally that will be talked about for years.