Thousands of soccer fans lined the streets of lower Manhattan to cheer on the women of Gotham FC as in a parade celebrating their national championship Monday.
Broadway was filled with screaming fans Monday morning as a troop of drummers led the triumphant team down the boulevard.
The gold medal-clad players waved to their fans from the open tops of two double-decker buses, while holding the trophy aloft and passing it down the line one by one to the delight of onlookers.
When the team made it to City Hall, confetti cannons unleashed on the crowd and the players were led to a blue and black-adorned stage where Mayor Eric Adams presented each with a key to the city.
“This team sheltered the hopes and dreams of New Yorkers, of the entire Garden State and New York,” Adams told the crowd. “It showed time and time again that you never can be counted out because you have the New York City grit, resiliency and determination.
“You have inspired thousands of soccer fans and young girls and boys to believe in themselves, to be brave, to be bold and to be fierce, fueled by the team slogan, ‘Always build, never finish,’” Hizzoner added.
Gotham FC won the NWSL Championship in California Saturday, beating out the Washington Spirit with a buzzer-beating goal that brought the team up 1-0 with just 10 minutes to go and carried them to victory.
It was the second time in three years the team has won the US national championship, with their last win coming in 2023 with a 2-1 win over the Seattle Reign.
But the team didn’t get a public celebration in the city — much to the chagrin of the club and fans alike — prompting City Hall to host one this year.
And the team said they were most grateful to the fans who turned out cheer them on this time.
“This championship win was not just for us on this stage, but it was for all of you,” team captain Mandy Freeman said before the keys were handed out. “All the fans, old and new, who showed up when it was cold, when it was raining, when we were winning and especially when we were losing. Your unwavering loyalty is everything.”
Gotham forward and midfielder Jaedyn Shaw took the stage for a moment to repeat her words from a mid-season interview that accidentally became the team’s unofficial slogan.
“One last time, the quote heard around the league, underdogs, my ass! Thank you, New York,” Shaw said.
And Juan Carlos Amorós expressed hope that this would just be the first of many parades to come.
“We are never finished. Our next stage is we want to be the champions of the world in January,” Amorós said.
