This article was first published by the Tampa Bay Times on March 3.
By Ella Zinken
TAMPA — If there was any question about the Sun’s ability to match up with their opponent from the more-established National Women’s Soccer League Sunday night at Riverfront Stadium, it was answered by the scoreboard.
At the end of regulation, the teams were tied, 1-1.
Though Gotham FC of the NWSL went on to win the exhibition match on penalty kicks didn’t matter. The USL Super League’s Sun already had made their statement in one of the first matchups between teams from professional women’s soccer’s two top-tier leagues.
Sun coach Denise Schilte-Brown was proud of her first-year team’s ability to rise to the occasion, saying she “was excited for them to be able to highlight what they’re capable of.”
“I think they took the moment and handled it well without getting caught up in it,” Schilte-Brown said.
The excitement was palpable from the opening whistle, with both teams eager to showcase their skills. The crowd, a mix of USL and NWSL supporters, created an electric atmosphere that fueled the intensity on the field.
Gotham struck first, when Gabi Portilho scored in just the third minute.
The Sun responded in the 15th minute, when forward Parker Goins scored off a well-placed pass from Natasha Flint.
“It was just about getting in the box,” Goins said. “(Tash and I) made eye contact, and it was literally just a perfect pass.”
The Sun played strong defensively in the second half, holding Gotham scoreless through the remainder of regulation.
USL Super League matches end in a tie if the game is deadlocked at the end of regulation. But because this was an exhibition, the sides agreed to move to a shootout.
Gotham made four of its penalty kicks, while the Sun scored twice.
Schilte-Brown said she wasn’t surprised that her team held its own against the 2023 NWSL champions.
“I believe in our team,” she said, “and I believe in this group.”
Goins agreed, saying she thought the Sun “stacked up well.”
The Sun used the matchup to give their second team valuable playing time against Gotham’s more seasoned roster, switching out all 11 players at halftime.
Schilte-Brown said it allowed the younger players from the USL Super League, which is in its inaugural season, a chance to “show their talent against teams that have existed longer than our brand-new league.”
One of those players was Sun defender Jordan Zade, who made her professional debut less than a month ago.
“I just think it’s been a great opportunity, and I’m just grateful to be out on the field and able to learn from our players, but also from theirs as well,” Zade said. “It helps me see ways I can improve in every game.”
The historic matchup had a broader impact as well.
“It just shows how much women’s football is continuing to grow,” said Gotham midfielder Jaelin Howell. “You can tell that the fans (in Tampa) are really invested.”
Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós echoed the sentiment, noting that the crossover “helps to grow the players and to grow the relations between the teams.
“I think it is very important that there is coexistence in the professional game,” he said.
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Thumbnail Image Caption: Sun forward Parker Goins leaps into the air after the ball during Sunday’s exhibition match against Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League at Riverfront Stadium in Tampa. [ Tampa Bay Sun FC ]