The Gotham Revolution
“We are fully committed to this we’re not just, you know, New Jersey and New York in name, but we are going to contribute to the growth of girls’ soccer and women’s soccer in both of these areas, and we’re going to be a strong part of that pool,” said Alyse LaHue, the general manager of the newly renamed Gotham FC, the National Women’s Soccer League team based in New Jersey and New York.
Women’s soccer has headed the American sports revolution over the years, and it is only getting bigger. So, it was about time that New Jersey had a franchise, even if it meant revamping Sky Blue FC, the very first winner of the Women’s Professional Soccer League.
Some questions have been asked about moving the football operations of an already successful team and rebranding it as Gotham FC in New York and New Jersey. Here’s the thing, women’s soccer has been one of the shining lights in United States of America sports for quite some time, as its team is the most successful national side in history. The women’s game has seen legends like Mia Hamm, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd (a Gotham FC forward), Hope Solo, and so many more earn accolades as the best to do it, so it was nonnegotiable to grow the game at the grassroots level.
What better grassroots than New Jersey and New York? Two superb locations to find top-notch talents ready to put the work in to attain superstar status. Backed by a top-notch squad filled with Internationals from the USA, Italy, Cameroon, and others, Gotham FC is undoubtedly the place for upcoming talent from the East.
The hierarchy of Gotham FC has not hesitated to explain the rationale behind such a vast scale business venture, and you don’t have to look further than the words of the club Chairman Tammy Murphy.
“We’re making this important change due to our rapid growth and evolution,” she said. “Our new name reflects our expanding regional reach and captures the relentless determination, unlimited energy, and incredible diversity of the communities we represent.”
Gotham FC has seen the power of soccer to unite, and it has seen the market potential of building something worthwhile in New Jersey and New York, and that’s why it went the extra mile. This has been underground for some time, but this is the first season of the club debuting a new logo, new club colors, and even moving into the New York Red Bulls stadium for the time being.
Gotham FC has quickly become one of the most recognizable brands in the entirety of the NWSL, which comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility. First, they owe New Jersey and New York a duty to be competitive, as a lot had gone into the project, and mediocre performances will not be accepted. Also, it’s expected that the team will have a working reserve team.
“The purpose of the reserves team is to continue to grow a bigger fan base in the New York City area and to provide young girls with more opportunities for advancement in the game,” LaHue said.
That means that fans can expect some homegrown talent making it into the Gotham FC squad in the not-too-distant future. Finally, fans should expect a playoff appearance from a team with past World Cup winners like Carli Lloyd and Nahomi Kawasumi amongst a host of Internationally recognizable stars of the beautiful game. The season just began, and the franchise has been pretty decent so far; let’s see how the season plays out, as all eyes will be on the creatively named and assembled NJ/NY Gotham FC.
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