New York City honored the National Women's Soccer League champions Gotham FC with a parade and keys to the city Monday in Manhattan. 

The club got a goal from 30-year-old midfielder Rose Lavelle in the 80th minute on Saturday to beat the Washington Spirit, 1-0 for its second league championship in three years. 

Lavelle, the match MVP, told CBS Mornings the team was disappointed with their season, but the playoffs were "a really good opportunity for us to reset."

"We just have so much confidence in the group that we have and in the talent we have, so I think we really leaned on that this playoff push," Lavelle said ahead of Monday's parade. 

NYC Mayor Adams booed at Gotham FC keys to the city ceremony

After the NWSL championship win over the weekend, Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to celebrate with a procession around City Hall Park, followed by a ceremony with the players and coaches. He also had City Hall and other buildings lit up in blue in their honor.

"[This team] has shown time and time again that you never can be counted out, because you have the New York City grit, resiliency and determination," Adams said Monday. "You have inspired thousands of soccer fans and young girls and boys to believe in themselves, to be brave, to be bold and to be fierce -- fueled by the team's slogan, 'Always build, never finish,' and the unofficial coin, 'underdogs my a**.'"

Some could be heard booing as the mayor took the stage for Monday's ceremony. 

"Whenever you play sports, you know you've got to play through the hecklers and just stay focused," Adams said. "That's how you win. You don't win when you worry about the haters, you win when you stay dedicated to the mission."

What time did the Gotham FC championship parade start?

The celebration kicked off with the parade around 10 a.m. Monday. The keys to the city ceremony started about an hour later. 

As the mayor mentioned, the biggest theme of the day was proving the doubters wrong after Gotham FC was tagged the underdog. 

"This right here is what belief looks like, this is what grit looks like, this is what champions look like," said Gotham FC Governor Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, adding, "When we slipped into eighth place heading into the playoffs, everyone thought out story was over. But this team doesn't follow storylines, this team rewrites them."

The celebration came just days before Thanksgiving, as the city prepares for the 99th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The forecast is expected to stay sunny and mild, with highs in the low 50s Monday, before rain moves in Tuesday into Wednesday.

Map shows Gotham FC 2025 championship parade route

The parade began at Barclay Street in Lower Manhattan and headed north up Broadway for roughly four blocks to Chambers Street, where the keys to the city ceremony was held outside City Hall.

Gotham FC represents both New York and New Jersey and plays its home games at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. The fan base is known as "Cloud 9," and that was certainly the case Monday.   

"The women are the ones bringing the titles to New York," one fan said. 

"It's crazy to be here surrounded by fans," said another.

"It's just really exciting, I'm so proud of this team," another added.