Gotham FC ready for the challenge of continuing the NWSL title defense against Washington

Sitting in the team dining room Wednesday before the semifinals, NJ/NY Gotham FC general manager Yael Averbuch West looked over at a photo hanging on the wall of a goal celebration.

This wasn’t just any goal celebration photo. It featured striker Ella Stevens celebrating her first goal with the team, flanked by the smiling faces of her teammates, and kissing the club crest.

Kissing the badge is not your typical goal celebration in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). In a league with lots of player movement and shorter contracts, players usually don’t form the same attachments to the crests as they do in leagues around the world. Despite this, Averbuch West has worked so hard over the past three seasons to make Gotham a place where players want to be – and Stevens’ goal celebration is a clear indicator that she’s definitely on the right track.

“It means a lot to us – we’re really proud of what we do,” says Averbuch West. “People don’t sign six, eight-year contracts (in the NWSL) like there’s a lot of movement, so when somebody feels that way about the club and that quickly, it kind of really becomes what Gotham stands for. I think it’s contagious, but it’s not normal for the NWSL.”

Gotham’s 2023 NWSL Championship was just the beginning for Averbuch West. The team finished in sixth place in the regular season, and just reached the playoffs on goal difference. This season, Gotham finished in third place, and while that’s certainly progress, Averbuch West shows no signs of slowing down, especially as she watches the top four teams in the league put in the same work to improve and compete.

“We’re really proud of our progress and the position is indicative of the leap we took,” she says. “When we talk about the eye test in terms of the level of dominance, our continued improvement in our style, the way that everyone in the team contributed in a significant way throughout the year, there are so many positive indicators of success. We still have ambitions and we’re not done yet.”

Players like Stevens, who signed with Gotham as a free agent after several seasons with the Chicago Red Stars, have been key contributors to the so-called “super team,” which also brought in big names like Crystal Dunn, Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett and Tierna Davidson in the offseason.

Even with all the fanfare of the blockbuster moves, what has really made Gotham work has been a cohesive team, a competitive environment, and a deep roster full of players always willing and able to step up when it is necessary throughout the regular season and outside of competitions such as the NWSL Summer Cup and the Concacaf W Champions Cup.

“We rely on everyone to step on the field and do our job,” midfielder Nealy Martin said. “We played a lot of games this year, so everybody has the experience and the talent to do it. We trust everybody to do it — it doesn’t matter who’s going to be out there.”

For defenseman Mandy Freeman, Gotham’s longest tenured player to be drafted then struggling club in 2017, watching this iteration of Gotham has felt cathartic, especially after the club’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory against the visiting Portland Thorns on Sunday, which also marked the first home playoff game in franchise history.

“It’s a full-circle moment,” Freeman said. “I was just talking to someone about the days we played at Yurcak (Field, Rutgers University) and to be able to play at Red Bull Arena (in front of 15,000 fans) and break attendance records every year, it’s amazing . . , very satisfying and that’s the path we want to take as a club – always striving to be better, to do better, and I feel we’re achieving that.”

Nothing exemplified Gotham’s deep core more than the team’s game-winning goal against Portland. Tied in stoppage time, Delanie Sheehan prepared to come off the bench. The midfielder is a typical starter for Gotham, but was listed as questionable with a lower leg injury before the game. But in the 96th minute, Sheehan received a pass from Yazmeen Ryan, spun past three defenders and served it in for Lavelle’s game-winner.

“Delanie (Shehan) did all the heavy lifting there and kind of served it up on a platter for me,” Lavelle said after the game. “It was such a moment of brilliance. I think it was a great run. And then I think it was such a good play to have the composure to be able to handle two defenders on you and cut down like that. .”

As Gotham sets its sights on a back-to-back championship, the team knows that getting to this point was not a straight line. The club had a visible adjustment period at the beginning of the season and went on a four-match winless streak in April. No one at Gotham was particularly concerned, however. With turnover on the roster and the start of a new season came a learning curve, and Gotham quickly learned what would work for the team.

“The start of the season wasn’t smooth, but that’s ok,” Lynn Williams recalled. “We talked about how deep our roster was and how deep our bench is. We just know who’s going to step up and be on the field, whichever person is called upon, we have so much faith in that person and I think the depth of our team allows us to go into games late. Even if we are tied or down, we believe we will win.”

Anyone who has watched Gotham this season has seen how the super team has lived up to its name. Under the leadership of head coach Juan Carlos Amorós, Averbuch West sees a club full of adaptable, versatile players who are nowhere near their peaks.

“Every time the roster changes, which is normal in the NWSL year after year, there’s an adjustment phase,” says Averbuch West. “I think we saw that early in the season when everybody was trying to figure everybody else out. To be honest, I think we’re still improving, which is one of the things I feel most proud of.”

An additional point of pride for Averbuch West has been the development of younger players on the roster, such as Yazmeen Ryan. The midfielder has really shined this season for Gotham, scoring five goals and five assists during the regular season and earning her first cap with the US Women’s National Team.

“She was rewarded for her performance with her call-up to the national team and I think it’s well deserved. She’s had a really good season and continued to develop from where she was last year,” says Averbuch West. “Her impact on the team has been really significant. She is a very talented player and I think we are only seeing the beginning with her.”

As Gotham prepares for its semifinal matchup against the Washington Spirit, the team will once again need all hands on deck to get the job done.

“The Spirit are a good team, really dangerous in transition, and have some really dangerous players like Trinity (Rodman),” Davidson said. “In the NWSL, there are no easy games. It’s another challenge, but we’re looking forward to it.”