In the background of the podium erected to welcome the new members of Gotham FC was the addition of a star to the team's crest, symbolizing the team's first National Women's Soccer League championship in 2023. .
The Rainbow Room's windows offered panoramic views of midtown Manhattan on a snowglobe-filled Friday morning, and a slick video highlights package played on the screen.
There was good reason to smile.
Still, the S-word was thrown around a lot.
super team.
That's what happens when the defending champions sign four big-time free agents at once in five days, like Gotham added Crystal Dunn, Rose LaBelle, Emily Sonnett and Teanna Davidson this winter. They are all former World Cup winners with Team USA.
“We want this kind of attention,” general manager Yael Apfelbusch-West said. “We really want to embody the New Jersey/New York mindset, which is that we want to be the best and we want others to follow. We want to carry that goal on our backs. , I think that's where we've been heading. We're very used to it and we enjoy the pressure.”
Affelbusch-West said Gotham will increase its “desirability” as a destination in every aspect, from the team's style of play under head coach Juan Carlos Amoros to the resources available off the field. He said he is focusing on.
The organization conducted an internal survey asking players how likely they would be to recommend Gotham to a friend or colleague in the league.
This result gives her more confidence when talking to free agents.
“I think there’s something really special about the way they drive the entire organization,” Sonnett said.
Like the WNBA, the superteam concept is new to the NWSL, which is just entering its second offseason of free agency.
But the talking point from Friday's festivities was that this was no package deal.
For Dan, a 31-year-old midfielder from Rockville Center, it's a homecoming and, as she said, “all my worlds coming together and a special opportunity to play in front of my family and friends.” It's an opportunity.
Other players said they were drawn to the resurgence of Gotham, which came back from a near-death last place finish in 2022.
According to the team, all four players signed three-year contracts, with the salary cap set for next year at a total of $2.75 million.
“I think Yael and Juan really conveyed a great vision of what this club wanted to achieve, and we all wanted to be a part of it,” Lovell said. “I think it’s obviously a really strong squad and I think it’s going to be exciting to play together.”
That said, Gotham won't start the 2024 season with a sustained advantage.
For the rest of 2023, they performed like a mid-major team, making the playoffs on the final day of the regular season and then going on a mesmerizing three-game series into the postseason.
“Originally, when we were thinking about this year, we were planning on finishing sixth in the league,” Apfelbusch-West said. “So we're very happy with the championship. But at the same time, we also feel like we have a lot of room to grow.”
Lovell was a wizard with the ball, and although his career was plagued by injuries, Dunn and Sonnet were chosen as the new midfield.
Center back Davidson replaces national team coach Ali Krieger, who retired at the end of last season.
“I hope she can continue that legacy by furthering the standards she set for the backline and the team as a whole,” Davidson said.
The NWSL season begins March 15th with the latest edition of the Challenge Cup (a one-shot matchup with Gotham hosting last season's No. 1-ranked San Diego Wave) and continues through the summer with a break of more than a month. . In preparation for the Olympic Games.
Gotham will headline the ever-growing league, welcoming the superteam label and spotlighting a star-studded new lineup.
“I think it puts a little bit of pressure on people in this area who say they're sports fans,” Dunn said. “To me, talk is cheap. If you're going to support sports in this region, there's no reason not to go to Red Bull Arena.”
