Photo Credit: LA Times
The biggest question mark for Gotham FC’s roster entering the offseason was filling the hole left by Carli Lloyd’s retirement and the departure of Gaetane Thiney and Sodam Lee.
We posed a question to our twitter followers over @overgothampod.
We agree with the fans here. Getting a player who can feed the dynamic strike pair of Margaret Purce (9G,1A) and Ifeoma Onumonu (8G, 4A) was the most important need of this roster. Both Purce and Onumonu were in the race for the golden boot. Being able to put up those numbers while not playing with a true ball-playing number 10 is remarkable. Purce also missed a good portion of the season out injured. When the two attackers are on the field together, they were a dangerous pair.
Enter Kristie Mewis. The talented left footed attacking midfielder from Weymouth, Massachusetts. Gotham FC seized the chance given and sent 200k of allocation money to San Diego for their first expansion draft pick. Gotham officially announced the signing of Kristie Mewls to a contract that runs until 2024 on January 19th. Gotham FC also announced the resigning of their strike pair of Onumonu and Purce. This gives Gotham FC one of the most dynamic attacks in the league.
We reached out to Adam of NWSL Field of Vision @NWSLFieldVision for his thoughts on why exactly Mewis is a great fit and what she brings to the team.
“Last season Kristie was tied for third in assists per 90 (0.26) despite only playing in 16 matches, so she could've topped the league in assists if she was able to get more minutes. Finishing for the Dash was also a slight issue because she was 2nd in the league for expected assists.
She was also 6th in crosses (113) which will add yet another crossing threat to Dydasco who was 2nd (188).
Mewis was also 4th in corner kicks (77) with Dydasco being in 1st with 121. The reason this is incredibly advantageous is that Mewis is a lefty and Dydasco is a righty. They can hit in-swingers from each corner which will be a big threat for the team if Onumonu, Allie and whoever are in the box.
Kristie was 4th in the league in key passes (55) and 1 behind Dydasco (56) which is another way for the forwards to receive great balls to take shots. So all in all Gotham got a similar player to Dydasco statistically, but further up the field. Dydasco had the highest touch % in the league last year so this will ease the burden on her, but also had another threat to the attack moving forward.”
Kristie Mewis is a player that can be the focal point of attack and draw away defenders from Midge Purce and Ifeoma Onumonu. This feels like the missing piece of the puzzle. A player who can elevate this playoff team to the championship. With Dydasco and Mewis, Gotham has the ability to create goals from anywhere. The sky is the limit for this attack.
Highlights: #19 Kristie’s assists and goals from the 2020 season. A dynamic attacker who can get behind defenses and has a deadly left foot.
Quotes:
"Kristie is the exact type of player we're looking for at Gotham FC," Gotham general manager Yael Averbuch West said in a statement. "She has fought extremely hard to come back from some early adversity in her career and has transformed herself into a tremendous player. She'll fit right in thanks to her dedication, passion, and grit." – Source ESPN
Read more: Just Women’s Sports “Everything you need to know about Kristie Mewis”