Gotham FC didn’t rest after storming to the NWSL championship in 2023 following a last-place finish the previous yr.
That taste of immediate success under first-year coach Juan Carlos Amoros led to the local women’s soccer league franchise reloading its roster this offseason with 4 U.S. national team regulars amongst eight latest signings, including Long Island product and USWNT staple Crystal Dunn.
Following a 1-0 home loss to the San Diego Wave on a late Alex Morgan header last weekend within the Challenge Cup, the Gotham title defense officially will begin within the regular-season opener Sunday night in Portland against the Thorns.
Gotham — which plays its home games at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. — also added USWNT regulars Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett and currently injured Rose Lavelle.
“Going into the second season, it’s about showing who we’re on the football pitch and in addition maintaining the high-performance environment that now we have established here,” second-year coach Amoros told The Post. “It’ll take a while with the brand new players.
“There was a world competition that they were undergone much of the preseason period for several weeks, so with them being away with the national team, that process has been a bit different. But they’re really pushing to be the very best versions of themselves and to give you the chance to assist the team.”
Amoros took over last yr following a 4-17-1 finish the previous yr, and Gotham finished sixth within the regular season standings (8-7-7) before defeating North Carolina, Portland and Seattle within the playoffs for the primary title in franchise history.
“It was a tremendous sense of success,” Amoros said. “The situation was not ideal, but you are available with certain ideas, and when you’re capable of connect rather well with some improbable players and staff, that was the important thing to the success. … We had an idea after we got here in of what we desired to do, and we were capable of implement it.
“It began with the idea from the players ,and for me that’s the important thing — that connection we were capable of have and the trail that we were capable of follow.”
Gotham was without Lavelle and returning star striker Lynn Williams on account of leg injuries last week against San Diego, and can be again Sunday, but greater than 14,000 fans showed up at Red Bull Arena last week — a big boost from last yr’s average home attendance of roughly 6,300 per home match.
“I feel our performance especially in the primary half was improbable,” Amoros said. “The players were executing the sport plan perfectly, and the atmosphere and the fans were amazing. But we all know the truth of this league is that if you may have one lapse in concentration this league is ruthless.
“It was painful to provide up a goal within the last minute, but we’ll proceed to get well.”
Gotham FC didn’t rest after storming to the NWSL championship in 2023 following a last-place finish the previous yr.
That taste of immediate success under first-year coach Juan Carlos Amoros led to the local women’s soccer league franchise reloading its roster this offseason with 4 U.S. national team regulars amongst eight latest signings, including Long Island product and USWNT staple Crystal Dunn.
Following a 1-0 home loss to the San Diego Wave on a late Alex Morgan header last weekend within the Challenge Cup, the Gotham title defense officially will begin within the regular-season opener Sunday night in Portland against the Thorns.
Gotham — which plays its home games at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. — also added USWNT regulars Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett and currently injured Rose Lavelle.
“Going into the second season, it’s about showing who we’re on the football pitch and in addition maintaining the high-performance environment that now we have established here,” second-year coach Amoros told The Post. “It’ll take a while with the brand new players.
“There was a world competition that they were undergone much of the preseason period for several weeks, so with them being away with the national team, that process has been a bit different. But they’re really pushing to be the very best versions of themselves and to give you the chance to assist the team.”
Amoros took over last yr following a 4-17-1 finish the previous yr, and Gotham finished sixth within the regular season standings (8-7-7) before defeating North Carolina, Portland and Seattle within the playoffs for the primary title in franchise history.
“It was a tremendous sense of success,” Amoros said. “The situation was not ideal, but you are available with certain ideas, and when you’re capable of connect rather well with some improbable players and staff, that was the important thing to the success. … We had an idea after we got here in of what we desired to do, and we were capable of implement it.
“It began with the idea from the players ,and for me that’s the important thing — that connection we were capable of have and the trail that we were capable of follow.”
Gotham was without Lavelle and returning star striker Lynn Williams on account of leg injuries last week against San Diego, and can be again Sunday, but greater than 14,000 fans showed up at Red Bull Arena last week — a big boost from last yr’s average home attendance of roughly 6,300 per home match.
“I feel our performance especially in the primary half was improbable,” Amoros said. “The players were executing the sport plan perfectly, and the atmosphere and the fans were amazing. But we all know the truth of this league is that if you may have one lapse in concentration this league is ruthless.
“It was painful to provide up a goal within the last minute, but we’ll proceed to get well.”
