Zanotti header sends Corinthians past Gotham in Women’s Champions Cup semi

Corinthians beat Gotham FC in the first semi-final of the inaugural Fifa Women’s Champions Cup at Brentford’s Gtech Stadium, a goal from 40‑year‑old captain Gabi Zanotti in the 83rd minute proving decisive. Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amorós praised his players’ efforts and attributed the defeat to failing to score, saying: “They came with a gameplan they executed, it worked for them and they won the game.

On our side I think we also executed everything that we prepared. We dominated the game on every aspect but as we all know football is about goals, you need to score goals.” The match was subdued by pre‑season timings, though a vocal group of Corinthians supporters was present. Corinthians threatened early when Belén Aquino struck narrowly wide, Gotham had the better chances in the second half with Emily Sonnett’s header blocked on the line, and as extra time loomed Zanotti brought the ball down on the edge of the box and scored past Ann‑Katrin Berger.

A late Gotham free‑kick led to scenes that produced a red card for a member of the Corinthians staff, and Gotham’s final effort was wide. Both teams were affected by timing and logistics: Gotham had not played a competitive fixture in two months and Corinthians in four, and Corinthians started without three key players who could only travel on Sunday because of visa issues.

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