Yazmeen Ryan’s goal in the third minute proved to be the difference on Sunday as Gotham FC notched a 1-0 victory over the visiting Utah Royals in Harrison, N.J.

The victory for Gotham (13-4-4, 43 points) moves them into third place in the NWSL table, one point ahead of the Kansas City Current and one point behind the Washington Spirit with five games remaining in the regular season. It’s the third consecutive loss for Utah (4-14-3, 15 points), which remains in last place, far outside of the playoff picture.

Ryan’s goal was created when Lynn Williams picked off a Royals pass in their own half of the field with relative ease. After a give-and-go with a teammate, Williams streaked down the left wing and into the box, then played a long ball across it. Ryan, with one touch of her left foot, redirected the ball with precision into the back of the net for her fourth goal of the year.

For Williams, Gotham’s captain, the score marked her 30th regular season assist in NWSL play, a figure matched only by Sofia Huerta and Jess McDonald.

Despite firing 16 shots and putting 10 of those attempts on-target, Gotham couldn’t put another ball past Utah keeper Mandy Haught, who tallied nine saves on the day. Haught had a memorable stop in the 33rd minute, when she leapt into the air to knock a long-range attempt from Williams over the bar.

The win for Gotham was its fifth in its last six matches.

–Field Level Media