It was scoreless in the 24th minute of NJ/NY Gotham FC’s first-ever NWSL Championship game. The team was employing its hallmark high press on OL Reign when Midge Purce received the ball, dribbled up the right side, nutmegged Phoebe McClernon, jumped over a Jess Fishlock slide tackle, took the ball to the end line and crossed it through the box to a wide open Lynn Williams for Gotham’s opening goal.
It was a thrilling moment in what would be an instant classic match and an eventual 2-1 win for Gotham FC in San Diego on Saturday night.
“I’ve been waiting for a moment like that this year because I haven’t really had one,” Purce said after the match. “It’s been a long year for me personally, for this club and team. We squeaked into playoffs and made it all the way.”
Purce was truly the engine in Gotham’s exhilarating win over OL Reign on Saturday. She notched the assists on both goals, which included a well-placed corner kick straight to the head of Esther González for the winner. In addition to her two assists, Purce boasted six crosses, five successful dribbles, two tackles won, and two clearances. Her performance earned her the NWSL Championship Most Valuable Player award and marked a fairytale ending to an equally exhilarating run to this moment.
This season has not been so linear for the striker. Purce struggled with injury early on this year and was unable to play for multiple weeks of games in the lead up to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, ultimately missing out on a call-up to the tournament.
Despite her setbacks, Purce showed on Saturday night why Gotham so intently traded for her in 2020 and why she is so important to the team’s success. Her skill on the ball, precision passes, dribbling ability, and defensive acumen proved key to the team’s championship win.
On another level today. 
Take a bow, @100Purcent. pic.twitter.com/oJ9sPq1FHy
— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) November 12, 2023
Take a bow, @100Purcent. pic.twitter.com/oJ9sPq1FHy
— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) November 12, 2023
“It’s really humbling,” Purce said. “The thing about sports is that they tear you down and at the same time they can build you up. Everyone tells you not to get so low on the lows and so high on the highs, but this is why you play. It makes those hard days work it. It’s always better than it is worse. I love this game.”
With the help of her teammates, Purce shined for Gotham and helped set her team up for success, making the MVP award not just a reflection on her individual performance, but the work of the team as a collective.
“I think the word I would use is ‘earned.’ When I look around the room at my teammates, every single person had a journey that was [up and down],” Purce said after the match. “Everyone went through something that made them have self doubt, that knocked them down, and it was beautiful to see how our locker room picked everyone back up.”
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After four seasons with Gotham, Purce is keenly aware of how important this Championship win is for the team, but also for the fans. Dating back to the Sky Blue FC days, many of the team’s most avid supporters, including supporters’ group Cloud 9, have stuck with the club through thick and thin. In fact, a contingent of fans made the cross-country trek to show their support for the team, a trip that was meaningful for Purce as a long-time player for the club.
“We have to do something for the [OG fans] because it’s been a wild ride, even the ones who have been there before I’ve even been there,” she said. “This is a club that has a ton of history and I’m excited to give them something because they’ve been waiting for it for so long and have been so loyal. I think it’s just the beginning.”
As Purce got ready to celebrate with her team and head back east, she struggled to find the words to encapsulate her emotions, gratitude for her team, and personal triumph.
“It just felt so good, I just don’t have the words,” Purce said. “I haven’t won anything in a long time.”
That certainly is a sentence Purce won’t have to utter anytime soon as she adds her NWSL Championship and MVP trophy to to her mantle, but she and her teammates have made it clear all season, this is just the start for Gotham FC.
“We want to be champions. It doesn’t matter how hard it’s going to be, this is why we’re here,” Purce said, reflecting on the season. “Everything the team has right now, we really earned it. It’s an incredible thing to feel and see all the work that everyone put in come to fruition.”
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