Corinthians Stun Gotham FC in Women's Champions Cup Semi-Final
In a stunning upset, Corinthians secured a 1-0 victory over Gotham FC in the first semi-final of the inaugural Fifa Women's Champions Cup. The match, held at Brentford's Gtech Stadium, saw the Brazilian champions emerge triumphant despite being down to 10 men for much of the contest.
Gabi Zanotti's 83rd-minute strike proved to be the decisive moment, beating goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger as Corinthians celebrated a hard-fought win. The victory sets up a place in the final against European Champions League winners Arsenal or African Champions League winners AS Far, alongside a bigger share of the $2.3m (£1.7m) prize pot.
Corinthians manager Lucas Piccinato praised his team's performance, stating: "Everyone was talking about maybe Gotham and Arsenal in the final but Corinthians are here and we played a very good game to beat the NWSL champions. We know what we can do."
The match was a tight encounter, with both teams creating chances. However, it was Corinthians who ultimately found the breakthrough, as Zanotti's goal silenced the Gotham faithful. The American side pushed hard for an equalizer but were unable to capitalize on their scoring opportunities.
Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amorós acknowledged that his team had been outperformed by Corinthians, stating: "We wish them all the best. They came with a gameplan they executed, it worked for them and they won the game. On our side I think we also executed everything that we prepared. We dominated the game on every aspect but as we all know football is about goals, you need to score goals."
Despite being without three key players due to visa issues, Corinthians's victory was a testament to their organization and teamwork. The match highlighted the challenges posed by the tournament schedule and the compromises made to accommodate it.
As Corinthians look ahead to the final, they will be buoyed by this surprise victory over Gotham FC. They will now face off against one of Europe or Africa's top teams in the title showdown.
In a stunning upset, Corinthians secured a 1-0 victory over Gotham FC in the first semi-final of the inaugural Fifa Women's Champions Cup. The match, held at Brentford's Gtech Stadium, saw the Brazilian champions emerge triumphant despite being down to 10 men for much of the contest.
Gabi Zanotti's 83rd-minute strike proved to be the decisive moment, beating goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger as Corinthians celebrated a hard-fought win. The victory sets up a place in the final against European Champions League winners Arsenal or African Champions League winners AS Far, alongside a bigger share of the $2.3m (£1.7m) prize pot.
Corinthians manager Lucas Piccinato praised his team's performance, stating: "Everyone was talking about maybe Gotham and Arsenal in the final but Corinthians are here and we played a very good game to beat the NWSL champions. We know what we can do."
The match was a tight encounter, with both teams creating chances. However, it was Corinthians who ultimately found the breakthrough, as Zanotti's goal silenced the Gotham faithful. The American side pushed hard for an equalizer but were unable to capitalize on their scoring opportunities.
Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amorós acknowledged that his team had been outperformed by Corinthians, stating: "We wish them all the best. They came with a gameplan they executed, it worked for them and they won the game. On our side I think we also executed everything that we prepared. We dominated the game on every aspect but as we all know football is about goals, you need to score goals."
Despite being without three key players due to visa issues, Corinthians's victory was a testament to their organization and teamwork. The match highlighted the challenges posed by the tournament schedule and the compromises made to accommodate it.
As Corinthians look ahead to the final, they will be buoyed by this surprise victory over Gotham FC. They will now face off against one of Europe or Africa's top teams in the title showdown.
I'm loving this Women's Champions Cup tournament so far! The Corinthians squad really stepped up their game and proved everyone wrong with that stunning 1-0 win over Gotham FC 
. Gabi Zanotti's goal was pure magic 
. I've been following the NWSL, but Gotham FC's team effort and determination made them a tough opponent to beat 
. Lucas Piccinato is definitely on the right track as Corinthians manager - that confidence boost will take his squad all the way to the final! 
! Corinthians totally had it coming though, I mean they played like a well-oiled machine out there. 10 men down and still managing to get that win? That's some serious skill 
. Gotham FC was pushing hard for an equalizer, but you gotta respect their effort. It's not easy playing with injuries 
. Lucas Piccinato must be thrilled with the team's performance too, he knew they had what it took all along 
️
i'm so hyped for corinthians making it to the final 
they played like champs and deserve that win 
and can't wait to see them take on arsenal or as far in the final! 
! I mean, 10 men for most of the game and still manage to pull off a 1-0 win? That's what I call determination 
. And now they're moving on to the final, who knows what's gonna happen? Maybe they'll pull off another upset and take home that title 
, Corinthias did a sick job 
beating Gotham FC 1-0. Their striker Gabi Zanotti scored at 83' minute 
which was like the game winner. 
by saying everyone thought Gotham and Arsenal would make it to the final, but Corinthias proved them wrong 
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!
i mean Gotham had some great chances but Ann-Katrin Berger was on fire 
I love how Lucas Piccinato stayed calm and confident though, it's clear he has his team's backs 10 men down is no excuse for not winning though lol AS Far vs Arsenal is gonna be EPIC!!! 
Now they're one step closer to that big prize 
i'm so hyped for them now, they're gonna crush it in the final 
. And now Corinthians gets a free pass to the final because they exploited this weakness. Can't FIFA do something about this? The schedule is crazy enough without having to worry about teams being outnumbered on purpose 
. And what's with the prize pot? $2.3m isn't even that much, considering how much hype around this tournament is building up... 
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and now they get to play against Arsenal or AS Far in the final 
. And Zanotti's goal was straight fire 
.
Gotham FC was all over them, but they just couldn't score. That American side is so tough, though, they pushed hard for an equalizer, but Corinthians held strong 
. Gotham FC didn't stand a chance, gotta give credit where its due 
. But you can't take away from Corinthians' gritty performance.