This week, we start our annual review of the very competitive NWSL regular season, which saw eight of the 12 teams enter the final week of the 2023 regular season still in the race for the playoffs, with San Diego and Portland already qualified. We also look at the six teams that made the playoffs and next week will analyze the seasons for the other six sides.
2023 NWSL Regular Season Review—Part 1
This week, we look at the final 2023 NWSL Regular Season, with interesting team news and key results. In part 1, we examine the six playoff qualifiers this season: San Diego, Portland, North Carolina, OL Reign, Angel City and Gotham FC. This season, three different teams made the playoffs compared with last season: North Carolina, Angel City and Gotham FC qualified after missing the post-season in 2022 and replaced Houston, Kansas City (last season's runners-up to champions Portland) and Chicago, while Portland, the Reign and San Diego would repeat from last year. Next week, in part 2, we will review the six teams that missed the playoffs: Orlando, Washington, Racing Louisville, Houston, Kansas City and Chicago
San Diego Wave (11-4-7, 37 points; First)
The Wave, led by former Manchester United head coach and English international Casey Stoney, made the playoffs for the second time in their two seasons in the league—they also were named as the host site for the NWSL Championship Final in November and thus could have the support of their league leading seasonal average crowd of 20,718, double the league average of 10,432 in 2023, itself a record and a 32% increase over the previous record of 7,894 set in 2022. With two games left in the 2023 regular season, the Wave became the first team to clinch a playoff spot when it beat first-place Portland 2-0 in a top-of-the-table clash at Providence Park on October 1 in the always competitive NWSL, with only Kansas City and Chicago eliminated from the playoffs entering the last round of matches on October 15. Against the Thorns, the Wave's goal scorers were San Diego-born Irish international Kyra Carusa—her second NWSL goal since joining the Wave in August—and U.S. international forward Alex Morgan—her first goal for club or country since May 20.
The Wave midseason was hovering around the edge of the playoff spots in sixth place after a five-match winless run in the league (nine matches including Challenge Cup games) from early June through early August. The return from injury of U.S. international Abby Dahlkemper and their WWC Finals-bound internationals kicked the club into a run of five wins and one loss in seven matches to end the regular season.
San Diego native Kyra Carusa has been a really positive pickup in her first professional stint in North America. She signed for the Wave on August 16 and scored the winning goal in her second match on August 25 in a 2-1 win in Orlando, with Dahlkemper scoring the first Wave goal. Carusa played collegiately at Stanford and Georgetown. In 2019, Carusa joined the French club Le Havre AC. In 2020, she moved to Danish club HB Koge. Then in 2023, Carusa played for London City Lionesses in England ahead of the 2023 Women's World Cup Finals, where she started all three matches for Ireland.
At 15 years, nine months and 20 days old, San Diego Wave FC forward Melanie Barcenas became the youngest player to record an assist in the NWSL as she fed Amirah Ali (24) on the winning goal in a 2-1 win over Gotham FC in San Diego on August 19. She doubled as the captain of the U.S. U-17's in games against Japan in September in Los Angeles as the U.S. first defeated Japan's U-17 WNT 2-0 and then tied the visitors 3-3.
Alex Morgan led the side in scoring with seven goals in 18 games while 18-year-old Jaedyn Shaw had six tallies in 22 games in her second year with the team, after scoring three times in seven games in 2022. Makenzie Doniak (29), who started in the league with the WNY Flash in 2016 and also played in Australia and Denmark, finished with three goals in 21 games in her second season with the club. Ali finished with two goals as she did in her rookie season in 2022.
Portland Thorns (10-5-7, 35 points, Second)
In the penultimate round of the regular season, the Portland Thorns clinched a top two position for the playoffs, guaranteeing a first round bye and semifinal home match in front of a crowd that should exceed 20,000 fans.
On September 20, the Thorns FC signed Danish international defender Rikke Sevecke for the remainder of the 2023 season with an option for the 2024 campaign. Sevecke most recently played for Everton in the Women's Super League (WSL), appearing in 52 matches (45 starts) from 2020-2023. She began her professional career at the age of 16 with BSF in Denmark and then played with Brøndby IF from 2015-19. Ahead of the 2019-20 season, Sevecke moved to France, joining FC Fleury 91 for one season. Sevecke also had a previous but brief spell in the United States at the University of Northwestern Ohio in Lima in 2017. She also has earned 53 caps with the senior national team, tallying five goals and four assists. At the 2023 World Cup, Sevecke appeared in all four matches for Denmark, including the team's round of 16 match against Australia, a 2-0 loss in Sydney.
Mike Norris, in his first year as head coach, has done well in a low key way with a talented squad. On September 16, the Thorns used goals by Japanese international Hina Sugita (her fourth goal of the season) and American international Morgan Weaver (her seventh goal of the season and she ended up tied for fifth in the league's goalscoring race at the end of the season with the U.S.'s 2023 WWC Finalists team members Lynn Williams of Gotham FC and Alex Morgan of San Diego) to defeat Cascadia rival OL Reign in front of a sellout crowd of 25,218 fans at Providence Park—the Thorns' first sellout since before COVID in 2019.
The Thorns dropped a chance to win their third ever NWSL Shield as the regular season champions (along with 2016 and 2019) when they were decidedly beaten at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles (5-1) in front of a sell-out crowd of 22,000 against an Angel City FC team that entered the day in eighth place and needed a win to make the playoffs, which they did by finishing in fifth place (see below).
For Portland, Sam Coffey (24) led the league in assists with eight and was one of the revelations of the season. Sophia Smith won the league's Golden Boot with 11 goals and added two goals against Vietnam in New Zealand at the World Cup this summer; she missed some games late in the season after sustaining an injury in a 1-1 tie in Washington on August 27.
Hina Sugita, in her second season with the club and who played with the impressive Japan team at the WWC this summer, finished third behind Weaver on the side with six goals. Christine Sinclair recently announced that she is retiring from the Canadian national team after their friendlies in British Colombia at the end of the year but plans to play one more season in Portland in 2024; she had three goals in 19 games in 2023.
North Carolina Courage (9-6-7, 33 points, Third)
The Courage had a really good season, finishing third in the regular season by going undefeated in three matches (two ties) ahead of their last match of the season at home to Gotham FC, including a crucial 1-0 win in Washington as both teams were tied on points, with Tyler Lussi scoring her sixth goal of the year—more than she had scored in six previous seasons in the league with Angel City and Portland (5 goals)—which effectively kept the Spirit out of the playoffs. The team also won its second consecutive Challenge Cup title (see more below).
The Courage drew a record crowd of 10,434 fans late in the season for their scoreless draw against the Wave on October 7 at WakeMed Soccer Park. Denise O'Sullivan became the club record holder for all-time regular season minutes played in the 50' with 9,393 minutes. In the regular season, their defense tied for second best in the league with San Diego (22 goals allowed) and behind only the leaders Houston Dash (18 goals allowed).
The Courage also won the Challenge Cup for the second consecutive year to lead the league with the most title wins; North Carolina now leads with 7 total titles: 2 league crowns in 2018 and 2019, 3 NWSL Shields (Regular Season Titles) in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and two Challenge Cups in 2022 and 2023, surpassing Portland's 6 triumphs from 3 league titles, two Shields and one Challenge Cup, with OL Reign a distant third with 3 Shields.
The Courage hosted the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup Final on September 9 and retained the title with a 2-0 victory over Rading Louisville following an extensive delay due to thunder in the area. The players share the biggest portion of $1.1 Million in total prize money for the tournament ($10,000 for each Courage player while Racing's players each received $5,000 as runners-up). On August 5, North Carolina Courage fell in their final group stage match of the Challenge Cup, 2-0, away at Red Bull Arena. The loss was the first for the Courage in the Cup since April 20, 2021, snapping a 15-game unbeaten streak in Challenge Cup matches.
During the season, the Courage signed goalkeeper Hensley Hancuff to a contract extension through the 2025 season and then immediately loaned her to Växjö DFF of the Swedish Damallsvenskan. The loan runs through the 2023-24 Swedish league season, although the Courage reserves the right to recall Hancuff during sanctioned FIFA transfer windows. Hancuff, who had been on a National Team Replacement Contract with the Courage, played collegiately at Villanova then Clemson University where she led the Tigers to the quarterfinals of the 2020 College Cup as a junior. She was drafted 24th overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft by Gotham FC but did not make an appearance for the club. After the 2022 season, Gotham loaned Hancuff to the Brisbane Roar of the Australian A-League. She played every minute of the season and made 72 saves, eventually voted the club Players' Player of the Year; the third American to earn the honor.
The North Carolina Courage released English forward Millie Farrow, coming to terms on a buyout of the forward's contract. Farrow had played 57 minutes across three matches for the Courage in 2023 in all competitions, recording three shots. The English striker joined the Courage in August of 2022 from the London City Lionesses. She also spent time with Crystal Palace Women FC, where she appeared in 19 matches, scoring five goals. She also played in the 2020/2021 season with Leicester City WFC, scoring four goals in 17 appearances. She also had six seasons of experience in the FA Women's Super League, splitting her time with Chelsea, Reading and Bristol City. After her release, she signed for Perth Glory of the Australian A-League Women for the 2023-24 campaign.
The Courage added midfielder Manaka Matsukubo (19) on loan from Vegalta Sendai of the Japanese WE League for an agreed upon fee. She scored four goals and provided an assist in 12 matches as a first-year professional in the 2022-23 WE League season, helping Vegalta Sendai to a fourth-place finish. She has been capped at multiple youth levels for Japan, including the U-20's. Matsukubo will remain on loan through June 2024. She scored once for the Courage in seven league matches after her arrival this season and added a goal in two Challenge Cup games.
The Courage also signed 17-year-old midfielder Riley Jackson to a guaranteed contract through the 2025 NWSL season with an option for 2026. Jackson, who turns 18 in December, signed via the NWSL's new U-18 entry mechanism, which was formalized in January. Jackson, who is from Roswell, Georgia, participated in Courage sessions in the summer of 2022 and 2023. The high school senior was the 2021-22 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the and captained the USA at the 2022 U-17 World Cup. Other players signed under the new U-18 mechanism are Melanie Barcenas (San Diego Wave) and Chloe Ricketts (Washington Spirit), who were both signed earlier in 2023 when they were still 15.
Brazilian Kerolin led the team with 10 goals and finished second in the league in scoring behind Sophie Smith of Portland (11 goals); she was a leading candidate for the League Most Valuable Player award at the end of the season.
Off the field, women's professional tennis star Ons Jabeur joined the Courage as a minority owner and is the second professional tennis player to invest in the club after Naomi Osaka, who invested in 2021. Jabeur, who reached the world No. 2 ranking in 2022, is the highest-ranked and most accomplished African and Arab player in WTA and ATP history. She said: "Soccer and female empowerment are my main passions outside of tennis. When Naomi took an equity stake in the Courage, I asked her if she would give me a starting position as a striker, but she said no… so I did the next best thing and become an owner. The Courage are the perfect club for me in terms of shared values and ambitions, both on and off the field," Jabeur has been a professional tennis player since 2010. A four-time singles champion, she has reached the finals at Wimbledon each of the last two years and was a 2022 U.S. Open finalist.
OL Reign (9-5-8, 32 points, Fourth)
Last season's NWSL Shield winners for the best regular season record tied their two regular season games in 2023 heading into their final game against the Chicago Red Stars away on October 15; a 3-0 victory, which ensured their playoff spot.
In U.S. international and two-time WWC winner Megan Rapinoe's last regular season game at home, the Reign set a NWSL record (for a stand-alone game rather than a doubleheader with a MLS side) at Lumen Field with 34,130 fans for their scoreless tie with Washington on October 6, surpassing the previous record crowd of 32,000 in 2022 for the San Diego Wave's first game at Snapdragon Stadium. The match was the first NWSL regular-season game televised on CBS—unfortunately viewers saw a decided a lack of scoring. Though the Reign did not retain the NWSL Shield for the regular season title or a first round bye for finishing first or second, they are still in the playoffs but will need an extra game to win the title.
Head coach Laura Harvey became embroiled in a European transfer window bidding war for goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce (27), who played collegiately at the University of Miami in Florida. The Reign's No. 1 goalkeeper was even dropped for two weeks from the starting lineup as interest from Manchester United heated up. Harvey explained her decision to use backup Claudia Dickey (who played well at the end of the season as the starter) as what the Reign needed at that time.
When Tullis-Joyce was replaced by Dickey as the starter for the August 27th game away against Angel City, Jacob Cristobol in the excellent Seattle-focused media site Sounder at Heart said that: "Fans certainly raised their eyebrows."
After that 2-1 loss, Harvey said the change was to give Dickey a start based on her performance in the group stage of the NWSL Challenge Cup, where she claimed a clean sheet in all three starts. Dickey would once again be the starting goalkeeper with Tullis-Joyce as backup in the club's 1-0 victory over Orlando Pride the following week. In the home NWSL Challenge Cup semifinal against Racing Louisville, Laurel Ivory (24—a U.S. youth international who played at the University of Virgina) started, with Tullis-Joyce once again on the bench as backup goalkeeper in the 1-0 loss on September 6 at Lumen Field on a Wednesday night in front of a disappointingly low attendance of 3,906. On September 14,
United signed Tullis-Joyce to a contract and paid OL Reign a reported $160,000 transfer fee, which is a record for a goalkeeper, previously set when Kailen Sheridan moved from Gotham FC to San Diego Wave ahead of the 2022 season for $130,000. United head coach Marc Skinner coached the Orlando Pride in the NWSL before taking the United job after Casey Stoney took the S.D. Wave job for the 2022 season. Tullis-Joyce left the Reign with a record 13 shutouts from 47 appearances (46 starts) and was a finalist last season for the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year award. Tullis-Joyce joined OL Reign halfway through the 2021 season, coming from French club Stade de Reims. This was a big signing for United but a loss for the Seattle-based Reign, who are still looking for a new ownership group, after OL Lyon put them on the market. Hopefully they will stay in Seattle—one of the most enthusiastic cities in North America for football in general.
On September 21, ahead of the league's roster freeze on Friday, OL Reign signed goalkeeper Maia Pérez to a contract for the remainder of the 2023 NWSL season. Peréz, who was a free agent, was acquired through the discovery process and brings the club back to three goalkeepers under contract, along with Dickey and Ivory (see above). Collegiately, Pérez played for the University of Hartford from 2017 through 2021, where she was a three-time America East All-Conference goalkeeper. Pérez had previously signed with Angel City FC ahead of the 2022 season, but was loaned to Grand Paris Seine Ouest (GPSO) 92 Issy of the French second division in June 2022 for the duration of their 2022/23 season. Pérez made two appearances for Issy before announcing her intention to retire at the end of last year.
The Reign used balanced scoring all season, with American Bethany Balcer (26) leading the side with six goals, Canadian international Joran Huitema (22) and Americans Veronica Latsko (27), Megan Rapinoe (38) and Wales international Jess Fishlock (36) each adding four goals in the regular season. The Reign tied with the Courage for fifth in team scoring with 29 goals
Angel City FC (8-7-7, 31 points; Tied for Fifth)
The story of the last round of regular season matches—with all games kicking off at the same time on Sunday October 15, as MLS has done for years, and televised as a wraparound show across the six games, but artistically it was less of a success as CBS Sports Network stuck with games that were effectively already over rather than finishing with the Orlando vs. Houston game, with both teams striving for a playoff berth (ending with a late 1-0 win for Orlando, but falling short on goal difference behind Angel City and Gotham FC—who both had a +1 goal difference versus Orlando's -1)—with the star of the day being Angel City's 5-1 thumping of Portland to move from eighth place at the start of the day into the playoffs at home, costing the Thorns the regular season title. Angel City gained fifth by scoring six more goals in the regular season than Gotham FC (31 vs. 25).
Angel City was the hottest team in the league in the second half of the season and English native Becki Tweed likely won the head coaching job on a full time basis from her interim role. Since taking over on June 15 from Freya Coombe, with the team in the doldrums with a 2-4-8 (W-T-L record). Angel City lost just once in 14 games across all competition (6-4-1 W-T-D). ACFC's defense was a fortress under Tweed—they surrendered two or more goals 10 times in the first 14 matches but with Tweed in charge, Angel City had a 22-12 scoring advantage, with 17 coming in the second half; the team became adept at closing out games, which they weren't good at under Coombes
Tweed drastically changed the energy of the side with a focus on grittiness and utilizing her bench much more effectively. Tweed said after the Portland game to make the playoffs: "I would say [what was missing earlier in the season was] belief, belief in the fact that we could do it…It was a group that were just crying out to be heard and seen by everybody. I think people wrote us off, and that can be a little more motivating than anything. [It's about] bringing a group together and [creating] a training environment [that's] fun... It's how you value everybody. I think being valued is really, really, really important. The groups always had it in them."
New Zealand 2023 WWC Finals and Angel City captain Ali Riley added about Tweed: "[It's] her clarity, her vision. I think [it's] her ability to get the best out of players and make players feel seen. To be able to bring out our individual strengths, not comparing us to each other. ... She's never put anyone in a box, never asked someone to play like another player. It's like you are playing because this is what I want from you and I believe in you. But all of that is within the kind of structure of 'You work hard for each other.'"
Tweed's first game in charge was a critical 2-1 comeback league win at San Diego on June 17, won on M.A. Vignola's 88th-minute goal after Paige Nielsen scored to tie the match about twenty minutes earlier. Tweed explained: "Results are massive; I think about benchmark moments. Obviously, the result away at San Diego in what was my first game was huge, because it kind of sets a tone and a tempo for what you want to come after that. I think that that moment was a real turning point in the season for this group. And the belief, the togetherness, the accountability, and I think just the clarity of this is who we are and this is who we're gonna be, and we have freedom to challenge each other every day and compete every day." Following a 0-0 home tie against Houston, Angel City beat the Wave again 11 days later in the Challenge Cup and was off and running and a changed team on the field and in the results table.
Note: Angel City General Manager and former U.S. WNT player with over 100 caps Angela Hucles Mangano confirmed on November 2 that Becki Tweed was hired as the team's permanent head coach, explaining that: "From the day she assumed the role of interim head coach, Becki never looked back. She proved that she could not only lead this team, but gain the trust and buy-in of all the players in a short period of time. Following a thorough five-month search process, Becki emerged as the absolute right choice not only due to her record, which exceeded expectations by anyone's measure, but also her ability to instill the belief in the players that they could turn the season around and make [the] playoffs."
On September 1, American forward Jasmyne Spencer scored just over 20 minutes from time to defeat KC 1-0 in Kansas City in front of 11,827 fans to take their unbeaten streak to nine games. The game saw the first regular-season appearance and start for goalkeeper Angelina Anderson (a rookie from the University of California) who kept the clean sheet, and the first appearance for French international midfielder Amandine Henry, who subbed in for American midfielder Dani Weatherholt in the 68th minute.
After the game, Tweed discussed what she has seen that has allowed the group to be consistent in this unbeaten run: "I think we have talked about the next five or six games as a cup final. We want to be in control of our own destiny. It takes more than the eleven players that are starting. We had a couple changes in the lineup tonight. We want to keep things fresh. We want to make sure that we use our squad. Ultimately, you need a squad to continue to compete week-to-week in this league. This league is what it is because there are so many good players. It is pulling each other through moments…. Sometimes you just need a teammate to pull you through. We got there as a group now. If it's not one person, it's another person. It is like having 25 leaders that are pulling each other through."
Tweed also commented on iconic French international Amandine Henry's entering the game (in her return match to the NWSL after two impactful seasons in Portland in 2016 and 2017): "We know she is a top player. For us, it is managing people as humans and as players. Making sure the moments they get on the field make sense. She came here carrying a slight injury. We wanted to make sure she was 100 percent fit, confident, and healthy to be on the field. We knew when she was ready, she was going to make an impact and we felt like that was tonight. She reads the game really well. Good IQ. If you want people on your side that you're 1-0 and under pressure, she can read the game and organize. She has won things for a reason. It is in her DNA and her personality and that is what we need at this point in the season."
U.S. international midfielder Julie Ertz, who joined the team early in the season to get in shape for the WWC this past summer, retired from the sport in the fall and thus was not with the team when they made their late dash for the playoffs. The two-time FIFA Women's World Cup winner finished with 123 international caps and 20 goals, including four matches during the 2023 Women's World Cup; she was named the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year in 2017 and 2019.
Ertz was drafted third overall in the first round of the 2014 NWSL Draft by the Chicago Red Stars. During her seven seasons in Chicago, Ertz made 95 appearances and played 8,306 minutes. The Red Stars made seven straight playoff appearances during Ertz's time there, including two appearances in the championship game (though she was sidelined with an injury for most of 2021). For Angel City, Ertz appeared in seven total regular season matches in 2023, scoring one goal in her club debut against Portland.
Savannah McCaskill (27) was the NWSL Player of the Month for September/October and should be a lock for the first XI team for the season, finishing with four goals to lead the club. Rookie Alyssa Thompson (18) also had four tallies while Japan 2023 WWC Finalist June Endo (23), Scottish international Claire Emslie (29), American defender Mary Alice Vignola and Mexican international forward Katie Johnson all had three on this balanced scoring team that tied with San Diego for the second highest number of goals during the 2023 regular season (31), behind Portland (42).
NJ/NY Gotham FC (8-7-7, 31 points, Tied for Fifth)
After winning only once in six games (with two ties) entering their final game, a 2-2 home tie with already eliminated Kansas City gave them the last playoff spot, pipping Orlando Pride by two goals (+1 to -1 goal difference) and their second playoff spot in three seasons. This season was a tremendous rebound after finishing in last place in 2022 with only 13 points (4 wins and 1 tie) from 22 games.
Late in the season, NJ/NY Gotham FC loaned their Icelandic forward Svava Guðmundsdóttir to SL Benfica of Portugal through January 31, 2024. The loan agreement was the first transaction between the two clubs since announcing their partnership in May (See: The Week in Women's Football: World Cup Groups review; Benfica enter Gotham partnership; NWSL check - Tribal Football). Guðmundsdóttir scored six goals in 22 games last season with SK Brann in Norway's top flight, the Toppserien, as her club finished first to capture the league title. She has played for the Icelandic Women's National Team since 2017 and has scored two goals in 36 appearances. Guðmundsdóttir earned seven appearances for Gotham FC, including four starts during the 2023 NWSL regular season and two starts in the Challenge Cup matches.
On September 2, Gotham fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit at the North Carolina Courage (with goals from Japanese international Namuir Miurai and Brazilian international Kerolin to come away with a point in a 3-3 draw. After the break, veteran Kristen Edmonds (36, who started in the league in 2014 with Western New York and previously played in Iceland and Russia) came on and was a difference maker as a substitute. She was fouled in the penalty area from which rookie Jenna Nighswonger scored the resulting penalty kick. In the 65th minute, 2023 WWC winner with Spain Esther Gonzalez came on for her debut. In the 81st minute, Edmonds took the ball down the sideline to beat her defenders, crossed the ball to Lynn Williams, who laid it off to Midge Purce for the equalizer. It was Purce's 15th goal of her career to tie Kelley O'Hara for third most goals scored in club history behind Carli Lloyd, who ranks second, and Sam Kerr, who holds the record. At the same time, forward Lynn Williams secured her 27th career regular season assist to now rank third all-time in league history, which moves her ahead of Alex Morgan and Naho Kawasumi in the category. Only Sofia Huerta and Jess McDonald have more, with 31 assists each.
After the game, Jenna Nighswonger talked about her team fighting back from a 3-1 deficit, "I think it's a testament to the resilience that this team has. We came together at half time and I think that really showed on the field. Everyone was needed, everyone that came on, every starter. It's just a resilient tough team that I think we've showed through this whole season, and it really, really came through tonight."
Head Coach Juan Carlos Amoros, formerly at Houston Dash, Real Betis and a co-manager at Tottenham Hotspur Women in England for eight seasons (and made the playoffs for the second consecutive year with two different teams, moving over from Houston after last season), talked about Gonzalez' first appearance for Gotham and in the NWSL, just two weeks after winning the WWC with Spain: "She's the ultimate level of professionalism, so [she] was going to come in the best shape possible. She takes care of every detail as you need to do, and I knew she was gonna come in good shape…. She's been really good at training."
Arguably one of the biggest international signings in the history of the league, Spain's 2023 WWC Finals winning forward and Real Madrid's all-time scoring leader Esther Gonzalez (#9) signed with the club following the 2023 WWC. Photo courtesy NJ/NY Gotham FC.
On September 16, for the first time in club history, NJ/NY Gotham FC surpassed the aggregate figure of 50,000 in a single season in a 2-0 win over the Washington Spirit in front of 6,202 fans as González scored two second half goals in her second game and first home match for Gotham FC. Gotham FC led Washington in shots (17 vs. 7), shots on goal (4 vs. 1) and possession (56% vs 44%).
Esther Gonzalez holds her Gotham FC jersey at her first media and fan event at Mercado Little Spain, allowing attendees to taste the flavors of Spain, including Spanish tapas and some of González's favorite dishes on September 14, 2023 in Manhattan. Photo courtesy NJ/NY Gotham FC.
American forward Katie Stengel was acquired on a permanent transfer after joining the club on loan from Liverpool FC on July 5. Stengel was transferred for an agreed upon fee, and the forward has signed with Gotham FC through the 2025 season. She finished with 2 goals in 8 matches in her return to the NWSL.
Unfortunately, American veteran midfielder McCall Zerboni (36) suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury during Gotham FC's away match against the San Diego Wave on August 19 (a 2-1 defeat). Veteran U.S. international and two-time WWC winner Ali Kreiger (39) retired from the game at the end of the season.
Lynn Williams (7 goals) and Midge Purce (4 goals) led the side in goalscoring, while American rookie Jenna Nighswonger (the clear favorite for the league's Rookie of the Year award) from Florida State University added three goals in a stellar first season (and added two in the Challenge Cup). Gotham tied for tenth in the league in team goalscoring with Racing Louisville on 25, both ahead of only Houston Dash with 16 goals.
Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribal Football. His latest book Beyond Bend it Like Beckham is on the global game of women's football. Get your copy today.
Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimGrainey
