Wake up and smell the Rose.
FC Gotham’s star forward Rose Lavelle sprouted when the team needed her most.
Tied 1-1, Lavelle capped off a budding attack and provided the game-winning goal during Gotham’s 2-1 win over Angel City FC Saturday afternoon at Red Bull Arena.
Lavelle combined expertly with Emily Sonnett on the right side of Angel City’s box, and after a give-and-go between the two, Lavelle fired a left-footed shot past DiDi Haracic to give Gotham (6-3-2, 21 points) the lead in the 62nd minute.
It came not long after goalie Ann-Katrin Berger conceded a soft equalizer, beaten by an awkward deflection from Sydney Leroux following a cross into the box from Clarisse Le Bihan in the 51st minute.
But a momentary thorn made way for a rose.
It was just Lavelle’s second goal – and second goal contribution – this season and with Gotham after signing with the team this past offseason.
Gotham’s fellow new star Crystal Dunn finally made her mark on her new team and opened the scoring in the first half.
Yazmeem Ryan collected the ball on the left flank on a counter-attack and did well to dribble past Madison Curry before playing an exquisite through ball to Dunn just in front of Angel City’s box.
Dunn shifted the ball to her favored right foot before firing past Haracic to give Gotham a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.
Dunn had come off the bench the previous three games, but she returned from the NWSL’s international break with a chance from head coach Juan Carlos Amoros to start on the right side of their attack.
And she rewarded the decision, scoring her first goal – and delivering her first goal contribution – of the season and with her new team.
Other than the equalizer, Berger bailed out Gotham’s defense on numerous occasions – particularly a point-blank save on Alyssa Thompson’s header just before halftime and a kick save, from another shot by Thompson, to start the second half.