Gary Gibson
Mar 14th 2022
Announcement: **New Podcast due out Wednesday 3/16 featuring interviews with Megan O'keefe (North Carolina Courage Communications director) and featuring an exclusive interview with a Gotham FC's Player. https://anchor.fm/soccerovergotham or anywhere podcasts are found.**
Doesn't feel real, does it? We are less than a week away from watching Gotham FC take the field in meaningful competition. There are still a lot of questions to be answered as it pertains to the roster and what we'll see from a Scott Parkinson led team with a preseason to prepare this team for how he wants to play.
One thing is certain. This team is returning 9 of 11 starters from a team that reached the challenge cup final one year ago and was quarterfinalists in the 2021 regular season playoffs. Replacing those 2 starters with proven veterans who should help this team not miss a beat. The questions I have for this roster are subject for another post. In this article, we are going to look in depth at who our group opponents are and what advantages we have over them.
Starting with the top team of the group. The Washington Spirit. the website 538 put out their predictions for the challenge cup found here https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/soccer-predictions/nwsl-challenge-cup/. Their predictions are frankly ludicrous and downright disrespectful to the Spirit even if they prove to outright be accurate. The NWSL champions who are returning most of their starters should be the top or at least a top 2 team. Ashley Sanchez leveled up during her short time with the national team and superstar Trinity Rodman is looking to do the same in her sophomore season.
Returning every starter minus Tegan McGrady (SD Wave) this is a team like Gotham who should have no trouble picking up where they left off. In preseason tournaments like the challenge cup, teams who know who they are and have continuity should fare well on paper. The forward group is absolutely dynamic and deadly. Hatch, the past years golden boot winner will be complimented by young attackers in Sanchez and Rodman. Anchoring the Spirit defense is National Teamers O'Hara and Sonnet.
Gotham FC's advantage: Losing Tegan McGrady is a huge hole to fill. Especially when that is the position who's job is dealing with the relentless attacker in Midge Purce. Whoever is filling that role will have their hands full and may need support. Look for Gotham to force the ball to midge and let her get to the edge over and over.
Next up is familiar foe in North Carolina Courage. Much like our last preview opponent Orlando, there is a ton of significant turnover. A team that loses 4 National team veterans are surely to take a step back in form. Losing Lynn Williams and Sam Mewis (KC Current), Jessica McDonald (Racing Louisville) and Amy Rodriguez (retirement). There are still some solid pieces remaining in USWNT keeper Casey Murphy, Debinha and Denise O'Sullivan anchoring the midfield and perennial underrated player of the year Carson Pickett leading the defense. An incoming players to watch is former Gotham FC draft pick Brianna Pinto. The ESPN 21 under 21 never got going here in Gotham but figures to play a large role in the absence of the 4 attackers mentioned earlier. Also figuring into the attack is former Racing Louisville attacker Jorian Balcoun. This will be a veteran defense with a young dynamic attack. Much is unknown about how much change in tactics new Coach Nahas will employ after former coach (he who shall not be named) favored a unique pressing 4-2-2-2 formation that relied on high pressure, winning balls and quickly transitioning forward with the least amount of passes. I'm just glad Gotham gets them early before they figure out who they want
to be.
Gotham's advantage: Gotham is again returning 9 of 11 eleven starters and the entire starting defensive line. Veteran Stalwarts Dydasco, Johnson, Freeman, Lewandowski and Dorsey should be able to handle anything the young attack of North Carolina throws at them and be able to outwit them. Gotham should also be able to control the middle of the park against an inexperienced midfield and create chances from wide areas.
Last on the list is the Orlando Pride. Orlando went a route rarely seen in NWSL team building. They brought in an experienced college coach and gave her the free reign to upend the roster and bring in players that fit her style of play. This kind of no nonsense roster building may lead to a slow return on results but may pay dividends down the line in the regular season. Orlando, known for starting strong and fading down the stretch may have an opposite effect this season. Like the Courage, Orlando lost key attacking players in Morgan, Korneick and Van Egmund (SD Wave). Orlando signed a ton of high ceiling young talent like Darian Jenkins (KC Current). No one knows what to expect from Orlando out of the gate. I would consider them the sleeper pick of the group.
Gotham FC's Advantage: Gotham knows who they are. They know how each other play. Gotham FC's roster is deep. It is built for a tournament such as this. In this matchup Gotham just has to impose their will on Orlando's newly turned over roster. Gotham has the advantage on paper, all over the park. This will certainly change as the season goes along and Orlando's coach get's her team up to speed and solidify their identity. But right now. A mistake free Gotham FC roster should be able to get a win from this game home and away.
To advance in the challenge cup you need to be the top team in the group or the top 2nd place team in all the groups. This top heavy group could be the group that sends two teams on. I can see both the Spirit and Gotham winning all their games against Orlando and the Courage realistically. This could all come down to goal differential. let's hope Gotham gets on the board early and often and the veteran backline continues it's tradition of bending without breaking. I can see either Gotham and Washington flipping the first and second spots and the Courage and Pride occupying the 3rd and 4th spots. Can't wait to find out.
Gotham FC returns to play Saturday, March 19th at 7pm on Paramount Plus away at the Courage. Paramount plus offers 1 week free trials, students get 25% off and it's free with T-Mobile plans.