Gotham FC’s quest for back-to-back championships suffered its first major setback.
Star forward Midge Purse tore his ACL in Sunday’s game against Portland and will undergo season-ending surgery, the team announced Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Perth has been with Gotham since 2021, and after a rock-bottom run in the NWSL’s basement, they’ve come back as champions in 2023 and a superteam in 2024 filled with star free agents.
She scored four goals in the 2023 regular season and assisted on two goals in her team’s 2-1 come-from-behind victory in the finals.
The Harvard graduate has played in 30 games for the U.S. women’s national team as it prepares for this summer’s Olympics in Paris.
“I’m heartbroken that I won’t be able to participate in the season with Gotham FC or the Olympic trials with the USWNT. I know I’ll be rooting for you both all year long,” Perth said. wrote on social media.
“I may not be able to see it, but I will do everything in my power to get back on the field.”
Perth first felt the pain in the 13th minute on Sunday when his left knee buckled while trying to avoid a tackle.
After on-field testing and a short waiting period, she returned to action. Then, she collapsed awkwardly in first-half stoppage time and was immediately ordered to be substituted.
From now on, she will be out of action until 2025.
“This is a reality that I continue to struggle with, and I don’t have much to say about it,” Peirce wrote. “All I can say is that I am very blessed. Since my last game, so many friends, teammates, even players I have only played against, have taken the time to… You have expressed your support, concern, and love. Throughout this process, your messages have meant so much to me and comforted me when I felt inconsolable for a moment.”
Her injury is due in part to knee tears, which are prevalent in women’s soccer, and her participation in the Gold Cup with the USWNT from late February to March.
The regional tournament featured six high-intensity matches played over three three-week periods for NWSL-based players.
Gotham’s Lynn Williams and Rose Lovell missed both of the team’s games due to injuries sustained in the Gold Cup.
Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amoros had concerns about what this schedule meant for player safety.
“We are paying the price for a tournament that should not have happened,” Amoros said Sunday. “Another player playing in the Gold Cup [right before the start of the season]And 10 days later she was injured. ”
Gotham, which lost in the Challenge Cup before winning its regular season opener, returns to action Saturday night on the road against the North Carolina Courage.
