Gotham FC did what was needed to get their third straight win Sunday.
A single first-half goal was enough for a 1-0 victory against Racing Louisville (1-2-5) at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
However, for a team still trying to turn around its offense, Gotham (4-2-2) will have to figure out how to consistently put more than one goal on the board.
In the 16th minute, rookie forward Jordynn Dudley dribbled down the right side of the field, used a hesitation fake to speed past her defender and sent a cross that found Jaedyn Shaw in the box for the tap-in.
Shaw was the savior Sunday, but she could have had more company.
To start the season, Gotham had just two goals in the first five games, which heavily dropped the defending champions to 13th place in the now 16-team league.
Heading into Sunday, they had scored five goals in the past two games.
Yet, with a game that was largely in their hands — controlling as much as 72 percent of possession — Gotham should have had at least one other score against the second-worst team in the NWSL.
There were several unlucky bounces and lost opportunities, including three consecutive attempts in the 27th minute.
Winger Guro Reiten found Shaw on the left side for a shot from the center of the box that was briefly saved by Racing Louisville goalie Jordyn Bloomer.
It rebounded to Rose Lavelle, who has been on a tear scoring two goals in the past three games, but she failed to quickly place the shot and instead it was saved again by Bloomer.
Shortly after, Gotham’s other top scorer Esther González missed a header from the box after a cross by Midge Purce.
In the second half, Lavelle continued to find her spots in the box to put pressure on Bloomer, including during a corner when she powered a left footed shot from the box, but nothing came of it.
She was subbed out in the 72nd minute, along with Purce and Reiten.
A major takeaway for Gotham will be Dudley, who continued to prove that she is a legitimate competitor and physical offensive threat for the team.
Dudley went down hard several times on Sunday, taking time to recoup with trainers before jogging back into the game.
She showed she could put up a fight and added her second assist of the season in her third consecutive start. She came into Sunday off of scoring her first professional goal just a game prior.
The former Florida State star, who was one of the highest-rated forwards in the college game last season, is one of the few additions to Gotham, who retained its championship core with hope for a second consecutive title and its third in the last five years.
