© Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The National Women’s Soccer League is a league for chaos. It is end-to-end, unpredictable. It has its own unique look, exemplified best by ‘After Dark’ games, where things seem to get even wilder than usual. Few coaches are able to make their mark on this league, which makes what Juan Carlos Amorós has done with two different teams all the more remarkable.
First with the Houston Dash, now with NJ/NY Gotham, Amorós has established his principles within the NWSL. That puts him in the same category as Casey Stoney, Laura Harvey and Sean Nahas. You almost know how their teams will play before you watch the game. Yet, while his peers seek to find some kind of order amid the chaos, Amorós appears instead to lean into it.
There are three clear indicators of Amorós’ coaching at Gotham. One is a quick pressing style, where the team seeks to win the ball back as quickly as possible after losing it. Another is a high back line, looking to squeeze space and catch the opponent offside. And finally,…
