How Jaedyn Shaw is holding Gotham's attack together during NWSL Shield pursuit

A stingy defense has masked an inefficient offense, but Saturday’s showdown against the Spirit will test whether the regular-season leaders have enough firepower for the postseason

A stingy defense has masked an inefficient offense, but Saturday Is Jaedyn Shaw the one thing keeping Gotham FC's season together? While this may feel like a strange question to pose, for a team that's en route to winning the NWSL Shield for the most points in the regular season, Gotham's stats have been quite odd. As Gotham prepare to travel to face the Washington Spirit on Saturday, it's worth taking a look at those Shield credentials with three games left in the regular season. Unfortunately, there's a chance that we could get an answer to this question during the match. Shaw left United States U-23 international duty with a minor injury and is considered day-to-day at this stage.

When asked about her availability for this top-of-the-table clash, Gotham FC head coach Juan Carlos Amoros simply said, "Wait and see." Gotham have conceded the fewest goals in the league while also scoring the 12th-most goals of any team. They have the second-best goal difference due to their defensive play, but when looking deeper at the numbers, they aren't clearly the best team in the league; that's likely the San Diego Wave. By the numbers, the team chasing them has the better goal difference and expected goals difference. Of course, soccer is played on grass and not spreadsheets, but this is