After finishing in last place the previous year, Gotham FC didn’t rest as they raced to the NWSL Championship in 2023.
The local women’s soccer league franchise, which quickly found success under first-year coach Juan Carlos Amoros, added eight players this offseason, including Long Island product and USWNT mainstay Crystal Dunn. The new additions led to the addition of four U.S. national team regulars to reload the roster.
After losing 1-0 at home to the San Diego Wave on an Alex Morgan header in the Challenge Cup last weekend, Gotham’s title defense will now begin Sunday night in the regular season opener against the Thorns in Portland. It will officially begin.
Gotham, which plays its home games at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., will also be joined by USWNT regulars Tiana Davidson, Emily Sonnett and the currently injured Rose LaBelle.
“As we head into our second season, it is important that we show who we are on the football pitch and maintain the high-performance environment that we have established here,” said Amoros, in his second year as coach. told the Post. “Bringing in new players will take time.
“The process was a little different because they were away from the national team because they had international competitions that they spent a lot of the pre-season period with for a few weeks. But they became the best versions of themselves and I’m really trying to help the team.”
Amoros carried over last year following a 4-17-1 record the year before, and Gotham finished sixth in the regular season standings (8-7-7), defeating North Carolina, Portland, and Seattle in the playoffs to earn a franchise-first won the title. history.
“It was a great sense of fulfillment,” Amoros said. “The circumstances weren’t ideal, but when I came in with certain ideas and was able to work really well with great players and staff, that was the key to success. … I had an idea of what I wanted to do when I came in, and when I came in I had an idea of what I wanted to do. I was able to do it.
“It all started with the belief of the players, and for me that’s the key: being able to make that connection and the path we were able to follow.”
More than 14,000 fans were at Red Bull Arena last week for Gotham, which will be playing again Sunday without Lavelle and returning star striker Lynn Williams due to a leg injury sustained in last week’s game against San Diego. The crowd far exceeded last year’s average home attendance. Approximately 6,300 people per home game.
“I thought our performance, especially in the first half, was great,” Amoros said. “The players executed the game plan perfectly, the atmosphere and the fans were great. But the reality of this league is that once you lose focus, this league can be unforgiving. we know.
“It hurt to concede a goal at the last minute, but I want to continue to grow.”
