NJ/NY Gotham FC’s super team era took a big hit this week, when the club announced that 2023 NWSL Championship MVP Midge Purce tore her ACL in the team’s opening regular season match at the Portland Thorns on Sunday.
The injury means that Purce has been placed on the season-ending injury list by Gotham, and rules her out of the running for a spot on the u.S. women’s national team’s Olympics roster after being a part of the squad that won the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup this month.
It throws quite a wrinkle in Gotham’s attacking plans, as Purce has played a big role during Juan Carlos Amoros’ tenure at the club. She was the team’s starter as a right-sided attacker both last season and at the very early stages of this season, scoring four goals and notching four assists in 2023. That includes the assists to both goals in Gotham’s 2-1 win over the Seattle Reign in last November’s Championship, which seemingly served as a promising sign of things to come for 2024.
Amoros, though, will now have to change tack as Gotham aim to follow up last year’s victory with a strong season, especially after acquiring four of the league’s most coveted free agents during the offseason.
Here’s a look at the players…
