‘Really good vibes, no notes’: MVP Rose Lavelle praises NWSL championship setup in San Jose

SAN JOSE The best of the National Women s Soccer League descended on the Bay Area Saturday night at PayPal Park Washington Spirit and Gotham FC contested the NWSL championship in front of an communicated sellout crowd of there were empty seats visible here and there in San Jose bringing together a collection of fans from the East Coast who came to root their teams to a title Rose Lavelle s curling strike in the th minute was the decisive tally in a defensive event as Gotham won - Though Saturday was the unquestioned highlight Lavelle who was named the match s majority valuable member enjoyed her time in the Bay Area all week long Gotham FC celebrates after Gotham FC's Rose Lavelle scored a goal against Washington Spirit in the second half during the NWSL championship match at PayPal Park in San Jose Calif on Saturday Nov Shae Hammond Bay Area News Group It s been pretty fun Lavelle disclosed We got here on Monday We didn t do too much just because obviously we were preparing for something But the atmosphere was incredible It was really good vibes No notes We had a lot of fun The out-of-town fans from the East Coast weren t the only ones represented Fans wore gear from several teams across the NWSL and several outside the league at what became a cosmopolitan celebration of women s soccer across the United States and even around the world It s been great Gotham midfielder Jaedyn Shaw announced I mean I love California and it s been really nice Weather was nice The stadium was amazing The atmosphere was great although it sounded like there weren t as numerous Gotham fans as we would like But yeah it was great Gotham FC celebrates after Gotham FC's Rose Lavelle scored a goal against Washington Spirit in the second half during the NWSL championship match at PayPal Park in San Jose Calif on Saturday Nov Shae Hammond Bay Area News Group U S women s national group coach Emma Hayes an England native took in her first league title match and was impressed with what the Bay Area had to offer It s a lovely place to come to Hayes mentioned I had fond memories of being here with the company but it s so great to feel It s a little bit like the FA Cup in England And I know it s the big day out for everyone and you can feel that sort of even in the town just drilled up to the match Bay FC sporting director Matt Potter was wandering the concourses before the contest and wasn t sure where he d watch the match from He seemed content to take in the scene from any vantage point It s amazing for everybody involved whether that s as a fan the locality the area Potter described this news organization It sounds like it s been an amazing week with the preparations that the league s put on So I couldn t be happier to see a packed stadium and hopefully that s inspiring for us as we move forward Gotham FC's Mandy Freeman and Gotham FC's Katie Stengel dive in confetti after winning against Washington Spirit in the NWSL championship match at PayPal Park in San Jose Calif on Saturday Nov Shae Hammond Bay Area News Group For Bay FC co-founder Brandi Chastain a woman synonymous with Bay Area soccer the championship offered an opportunity to showcase the nexus of the local field and the rise of women s soccer all over the globe Related Articles Cal s Metayer helps lead Washington Spirit into NWSL championship event at PayPal Park NWSL commissioner on Saturday s championship championship in San Jose Bay FC s success and bright future We ve made a report Brandi Chastain on Bay FC s Year aspirations hosting NWSL championship Bay FC closes tumultuous season with - loss at Louisville Bay FC CEO stepping down as NWSL franchise moves into its next phase of upsurge It also gave the women s challenge its own dedicated spotlight The match was broadcast on CBS in primetime coast to coast It shows that our district and our fan base and our love for women s soccer is ever present and means a lot to our league Chastain disclosed It s all about women s soccer and that is something that we don t get to say all the time And the fact that we re hosting it is even more significant to me Even Washington forward Trinity Rodman enjoyed the Bay Area vibe though the end wasn t what she had hoped for on the pitch It s dependably good here Rodman announced Playing in this stadium it s amazing a great atmosphere The fans feel closer in this stadium which is nice It s very loud But yeah I m a California girl So I love being on the West Coast It was nice for sure Gotham FC and Washington Spirit enter the field before playing during the NWSL championship match at PayPal Park in San Jose Calif on Saturday Nov Shae Hammond Bay Area News Group