First, Gotham FC won the postseason.
Then they won in the offseason.
Now they need to win the regular season to confirm their worst-to-first story in 2023 and continue the club’s ambitions to become industry leaders in the National Women’s Soccer League and become a fixture in the New York sports scene.
In the months since Gotham won the NWSL Championship last November with three straight road playoff wins as the No. 6 seed, the club has upgraded its roster in flashy and dramatic ways, making it known as a mainstay of U.S. women’s wrestling. Signed four free agents. National Team: Defender Tierna Davidson, midfielders Rose Lovell and Emily Sonnet, and forward Crystal Dunn from Long Island.
The “super team” label soon followed.
“What’s really important to me is not to let off the gas just because we’ve had a good year,” general manager Yael Apfelbusch-West told the Post. “For me, there’s a sense of enveloping what we’re doing and a sense of progress. The reality is that last season we were really inconsistent and finished in sixth place. We were so close to missing out on the play-offs. .
“While we are very proud of what we did, there is significant room for improvement in our baseline performance.”
In his first season under head coach Juan Carlos Amoros, that baseline was essentially .500 ball. Batts, as he is known (because it’s Gotham, right?), finished 8-7-7 during the regular season, scoring 25 goals. vs. 24, a marked improvement from the previous year’s record of 4 wins, 1 loss, and 17 losses.
Four high-profile free agents join a core that includes forwards Lynn Williams and Midge Perse, as well as left back Jenna Neiswonger, last season’s Rookie of the Year. They made up almost a third of the USWNT roster that won this month’s Gold Cup).
And Spanish forward Esther Gonzalez will return for his first full season since signing with the team last September following their World Cup victory.
If there’s a question, it’s at the goalie position. There’s no question that the standards for Amoros’ team have changed.
“He made it very clear on the first day of preseason what’s at stake for this club this year,” veteran defender Kerry O’Hara said Thursday. “In my opinion, I think the work that Yael has done in the offseason, the free agents that she’s brought in and the roster that she’s built has led to very high expectations.”
The season begins Friday night with the Challenge Cup at Red Bull Arena. This game is a one-off game that does not count in the standings, and pits defending champion Gotham against the San Diego Wave, who won last season’s inaugural NWSL Shield. It will be the regular season finisher.
The 8pm match, which will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video, is the first of many highlights in the NWSL’s rich new broadcast deal.
“I hope it’s a great advertisement for the women’s game,” San Diego coach Casey Stoney said. (When asked if the showcase game was an opportunity for the Wave to prove they were the best team last season, Stoney bit back: “We were the best team. We won the league.” )
Gotham opens the 26-game series next Sunday against the Portland Thorns.
The NWSL, which has expanded to 14 teams, brought in a new television partner, raised the salary cap and welcomed an influx of top international players in the offseason, is perhaps its healthiest team to date, but the Summer Olympics There will be a nearly two-month hiatus before and after the tournament.
“We truly believe that we will reset the league in 2022. [in] We have established the foundation for 2023,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “And this is the point where you realize the league is really starting.”
There’s a similar sentiment about Gotham, which has fallen from champion of the underdog to metropolitan behemoth and is poised to step down.
“For me, it’s not about what we’ve done, it’s about what we’re going to do,” Amoros said. “I think we’re building something special. We’ve had some changes to our roster. We’ve added some great players and great talent, so we’re excited to see them play in front of our fans and get on the field.” I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
