Concacaf W Champions Cup final to pit Club América against Washington Spirit

Geyse worked the Gotham defense for three assists in Club América's win. Manuel Velasquez / Getty Images Share articleA new team will claim the second Concacaf W Champions Cup title after Club América Femenil knocked reigning champions Gotham FC out of the tournament with a 4-1 victory Wednesday night. Club América will face the Washington Spirit, who secured a late 1-0 win over hosts Pachuca courtesy of a goal by 18-year-old Paraguayan forward Claudia Martínez. Club América’s emphatic victory featured standout performances by two former NWSL players: Scarlett Camberos and Geyse. Camberos, who captains the Mexican side and plays for the national team, played for Angel City and Bay FC in between a first stint with América and her current tenure, while Geyse last played for Gotham. The Brazilian forward lifted the inaugural Concacaf trophy with the New Jersey-based side almost a year ago to the day. She also scored in Gotham’s semifinal match last year — against América. At the Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca, Mexico, Camberos and Geyse combined forces to achieve unbeatable success, overwhelming a Gotham defense that has done considerable shuffling of late to compensate for injuries. Camberos produced a hat trick, while Geyse had three assists. The two combined for América’s first two goals in the 21st and 57th minutes. In the second half, Geyse collected her third assist, finding midfielder Aylín Aviléz in the 70th, and Camberos topped off her scoring with a converted penalty in the 89th. América’s win continues its strong run of form. On Sunday, the team overcame a 1-0 aggregate deficit in the Liga MX Clausura (which denotes the second half of the season) to defeat Monterrey 3-0 in front of a record-breaking crowd of 26,670. “The fans always give us a boost,” Camberos said after the game of the supporters who traveled. “Even in the final we had just a few days ago, they were very important for us. Given the result and how they motivated us during that game, they really showed up for us, no?” Camberos added, “We’re feeling very confident. We’re coming off a win, and now another win today, so we’re feeling really good right now.” Gotham striker Esther González scored the reigning titleholder’s lone goal in the 48th minute. The match tested Gotham in various ways. Gotham, with a fragile bench, traveled to Pachuca following an NWSL match in Seattle on Friday to face an in-form América. U.S. women’s national team midfielder Rose Lavelle is out with a hamstring injury, and Jordynn Dudley, who’s been a consistent bright spot in attack, did not play. Just before halftime, Camberos collided with Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger on a 1 v 1, making hard contact with her midsection. The German international was writhing in pain, required medical attention that stretched into the break and was stretchered off the pitch. Shelby Hogan replaced her in the second half. Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós did not have any updates in his postgame news conference, but a club spokesperson said an update following a further evaluation of Berger was forthcoming. The Concacaf does not have video assistant referee protocol, and the absence of a video review was apparent throughout the match. The penalty call on Gotham defender Khyah Harper appeared to occur just outside the penalty box and should not have resulted in a spot kick, and Amorós expressed concerns over the lack of protection given to Berger. “I think there is also a bit of a level of frustration of playing a competition like this,” he said after the match. “I think with the fantastic job that everyone is doing, I think we definitely need VAR in a competition like this. I think there was certain situations in the game that should have been avoided. Not only the tackle, but also at the beginning of the game there is a moment where Ann (Berger) actually had also a cut on her head that, obviously, with VAR probably there is a different decision.” The Spirit and Pachuca faced off later Wednesday at the same venue in a semifinal that was lukewarm by comparison. Both sides enjoyed stretches of possession and promising chance creation but could not convert. Following a steady buildup in the 80th minute, Martínez received a well-paced through ball that sliced into the penalty box and attempted a shot. Pachuca goalkeeper Esthefanny Barreras blocked the shot attempt, and the ball popped high into the air; Martínez needed only to usher it into the back of the net with her body for the go-ahead, her fourth with the Spirit across all competitions. Martínez’s goal was the culmination of a comprehensive push forward by the Spirit. Head coach Adrián González experimented slightly with his approach to the team’s offense, employing Colombian midfielder Leicy Santos as a striker and giving center back Tara Rudd more freedom to push into the attack. “Sometimes she’s able to break lines driving the ball and skipping pressure,” González said after the game of Rudd’s performance. “If she feels that she can do (it) because the space is open, she likes taking off. Obviously we need to consider that, when to do it and when not, but she’s able to progress really good and create numbers.” América and the Spirit will meet at 9:30 p.m. ET Saturday in the Concacaf final; Gotham and Pachuca will compete for third place on the same day at 6 p.m. ET. The winners of the first, second and third editions of the regional tournament will receive berths to qualify for the first FIFA Club World Cup, slated to begin in 2028. The winners of this campaign will also qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup. Spot the pattern. 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