Farrelly's Gotham City take first NWSL Championship win

Republic Of Ireland ace Sinead Farrelly is an NWSL champion after her Gothan FC side beat OL Reign 2-1 in Saturday night's decider.

Farrelly was a second-half substitute in a game which saw Spanish striker Esther Gonzalez head the winner to secure Gotham's first Championship title as American veteran Megan Rapinoe's final career match came to a bitter end.

Forward Lynn Williams got the scoring started for the New Jersey/New York club, as Gotham capped a Cinderella run through the postseason only a year after they finished at the bottom of the table for the top-flight American league.

The showdown between Gotham and Reign marked the highly anticipated final match of twice World Cup winner Rapinoe's career but the retirement party came to an abrupt end as the Seattle forward exited minutes into the affair with an injury.

A superb solo effort from Rapinoe's World Cup team mate Rose Lavelle got Reign on the board in the 29th minute but Seattle were unable to convert on a series of second-half efforts in their third appearance in the NWSL title match.

"We stuck to our plan, we committed to each other... and we know how good we can be," said Gotham defender Ali Krieger, a beloved fan favourite who will hang up her cleats for the last time after Saturday.

The raucous affair at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium got off to a grim start as Rapinoe went down in the third minute and Krieger ran to embrace her former U.S. national team mate before she could exit the pitch.

Gotham forward Midge Purce beat three Seattle defenders down the right side before sending a perfect cross to Williams, who slipped the opening goal past Reign keeper Claudia Dickey from the center of the box in the 24th minute.

Midfielder Lavelle answered five minutes later,