NWSL Playoffs 2023: Three tactical keys to victory that helped NY/NJ Gotham overcome NC Courage – tactical analysis

Last weekend saw the beginning of the 2023 NWSL Playoffs. This saw the No.3 seed NC Courage come into this game in mixed form, having only won one of their last five league games. However, in that time, they had also won the NWSL Challenge Cup against Racing Louisville.

On the other hand, Gotham, the No.7 seed, also came into the game in relatively patchy form, having won one out of their last five, including the final game of the season, where they threw away a two-goal lead to the 11th-placed Kansas City only just scraping into the playoffs on goal difference.

In this tactical analysis, we will look at how Gotham overcame the NC Courage to win 2-0 and book their place in a semi-final against the Portland Thorns on November 5th. We will examine some of the significant tactical ideas and matchups involved in this victory.

Lineups/Team News

In terms of the lineups, NC Courage kept things relatively unchanged using the 1-4-2-3-1 shape they have used for the majority of the season. However, the significant loss was Kerolin, who was injured in their 1-0 win against Washington on the last day of the regular season. Kerolin has been their top scorer this season and would have been a potent threat for NC Courage. However, being unavailable, she was replaced by Brittany Ratcliffe and Tyler Lussi was put onto the right wing from her more familiar left-wing position.

The Gotham lineup was more challenging to predict, with the team being rotated more than the NC Courage side in recent weeks, particularly in the midfield area. However, they went with a 1-4-3-3 shape with 14 in this game, with Neely Martin playing as a deeper pivot in three-player midfield.

Relentless Gotham Press

One of the most critical battles in this game was the Gotham press against the NC Courage build-up. Throughout the regular season, Courage deployed a patient possession-based system where they looked to wait for gaps to open up in the oppositions shape. This can be demonstrated by the fact that they have the longest average sequence time in the NWSL at 9.77 seconds. They had a remarkable 273 passing sequences over 10 — 142 more than the next-best Portland Thorns.

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