Photo Credit: Joseph Buvid | Imagn Images
This week, Gotham and Louisville continue blazing, Portland brings the waterfalls, and Houston’s rookies shine.
Gotham FC keep scoring, winning, and rolling with the punches
Has a frontrunner for the Shield finally emerged? The defending NWSL champions — who have never finished a season higher than third place — are now six points clear of second place Washington Spirit. They have not lost a game since the first game back from the summer break. They did, though, experience significant off-field losses across just one week in July. On July 20, head coach Juan Carlos Amorós shared that he will be stepping aside for a five-week paternity leave. On July 24, Emily Sonnett then ruptured her patellar tendon, ruling her out for the season. Just three days later, Gotham FC lead goalscorer Esther González announced her mutual contract termination “to attend to personal matters.”
Jaedyn Shaw with the footwork 💃Sam Kerr with the smoooooth tap in 😮💨
If anything, it seems the recent changes have galvanized the squad. Acting head coach Shaun Harris has helped uncork Gotham FC’s attack. The team is one game away from setting a new club record for consecutive games with a goal. New arrival Sam Kerr has fit like a glove. She scored the match winner against Kansas City last weekend. Harris praised his striker saying, “You see a player like Sam Kerr on the opposition team sheet and that sends a message psychologically. If Sam’s getting jammed up or they’re doubling her or something, it just frees up someone else. … We have the talent across the board to be able to punish them. Sam is only just getting started. We haven’t seen the best of her yet.”
Break out the tissues for Hanks and Castellanos
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