LONDON (AP) — Corinthians captain Gabi Zanotti scored late as her team beat Gotham FC 1-0 in the semifinals of the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup intercontinental competition on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old Zanotti stopped a cross on her chest, then shot the dropping ball with her left boot to the right of Gotham’s German international goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who got her hands to it but couldn’t stop it slipping through in the 82nd minute.
It had been a scrappy game of few clear-cut chances for either team.
New York-based Gotham, which qualified for the inaugural FIFA event by winning the first CONCACAF Champions Cup, had pushed hard for the opener in the second half. Jaelin Howell forced Leticia in the Corinthians goal into action, then fired another good chance high and wide.
But Corinthians defended smartly and the Brazilian team made it count with the 38-year-old Tamires producing the cross for the oldest player on the field to score the goal that mattered.
Gotham made a desperate push for a late equalizer with Berger going up for a free kick deep in stoppage time, when one of the Corinthians backroom staff was sent off, presumably for calling too frenetically for the full-time whistle. Jaedyn Shaw sent the free kick to the right of the post in the last action of the game.
It was Gotham's first competitive match since winning the NWSL championship as the eighth seed in November.
Gotham’s Gabi Portilho needed treatment after being kicked on her right foot before the break and eventually had to go off early in the second half. Team captain Rose Lavelle also went off injured in stoppage time.
Corinthians, the Copa Libertadores champion, awaits the winner between Arsenal and African champion ASFAR of Rabat, Morocco in the second semifinal later.
Both the final and third-place match are to be played Sunday at Arsenal’s stadium, with $2.3 million going to the competition winner. The runner-up takes home $1 million.
The six-team Champions Cup was created as an event for club teams. It builds on a growing number of regional club competitions, led by the success of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Two continental champions were eliminated in earlier rounds: Auckland United from Oceania and Wuhan Chegu Jiangda representing Asia.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
What the Constitution Means to Me Read moreWhat The Constitution Means To Me
Join us for community fun! Free antique and collectible appraisals by Clars Auction. Over 30… Read moreMillbrae Senior Showcase
Imagine the rock and roll of Jimi Hendrix, the wild abandon of Janis Joplin’s vocals, and th… Read morePacifica Performances presents…Dirty Cello
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.