NEW YORK — A few short months after winning their first NWSL championship, NJ/NY Gotham FC were taking another victory lap. Instead of celebrating an on-field triumph, the club instead took to Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room on Friday to mark their unprecedented free agency business and formally introduce their new star-studded quartet — U.S. women’s national team stars Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson, Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett.
The swanky unveiling was months in the making, as Gotham identified the Women’s World Cup winners as prospective recruits before the free agency list dropped in September. While the reigning champions orchestrated one of the most impressive offseasons in the NWSL’s history, one thing became fairly clear as the new signings made their first appearance in Gotham colors — they were just as surprised as the rest of us.
“You start hearing things. ‘Who? Who?,'” Sonnett said about the murmurs she heard before she signed, and then made a reserved but flattering remark. “That sounds cool.”
Davidson mixed in sarcasm while clearly complimenting her new team’s ambitions. Upon hearing who might join her, she thought, “That’s not half bad.”
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