Sawt Falasteen - Gotham crowned NWSL champions after Lavelle breaks Spirit

Lavelle swept in an emphatic finish 10 minutes from time to settle a scrappy championship game at PayPal Park in San Jose.

The victory was doubly sweet for the 30-year-old Lavelle, who was a member of the Seattle Reign team beaten by Gotham in the 2023 final two seasons ago.

The win completed a fairytale postseason campaign for Gotham, who only scraped into the playoffs as the eighth seeds while Washington had been ranked second.

"It's so surreal, we've worked so hard and that was such a tough game," said Lavelle, a key figure in the United States' triumphant 2019 Women's World Cup campaign in France.

"We know we didn't perform to our potential during the regular season -- so I think these playoffs was about showing to ourselves most of all what we can do."

Lavelle's US international team-mate Trinity Rodman, meanwhile, made her return from a knee injury after coming on as second-half substitute for Washington, but could not inspire a breakthrough.

Rodman's return ended in disappointment with the forwards limping off after appearing to fall awkwardly in injury time as Washington chased an equaliser.

L.AbuAli--SF-PST