2021 NWSL Season Previews: NY/NJ Gotham FC and North Carolina Courage
/We’re publishing two team previews every day this week until the NWSL regular season begins on Saturday. You can find all of them here.
Today we have two teams hoping to become league powerhouses: one for the first time and one as a return to normalcy.
_________________________________________________
NJ/NY: New Jersey, New York, and a New Hope
By J.J. Post
To say the 2020 season and subsequent offseason have been interesting for New Jersey/New York Gotham FC would be an understatement. Last season started out on perhaps the highest note in the artist formerly known as Sky Blue’s history. Following the acquisition of young stars Midge Purce and Mallory Pugh by general manager Alyse LaHue, the newly-moved Harrison outfit entered the 2020 Challenge Cup with the expectation of being a entirely different team both in results and style than the squad of years prior which had struggled to emerge from the league’s bottom half. And though head coach Freya Coombe’s side struggled out of the gates, they slowly found their footing and emerged as a possession-focused team that managed a comprehensive victory over eventual champion Houston Dash and a Challenge Cup semifinal appearance. Gotham kept their momentum going into the Fall Series, going 2-2 and finishing fourth, the club’s highest end-of-season position since their first year in the league. Oh, and then they changed their name before the start of the 2021 spring Challenge Cup. I’m sure you’ve heard a thing or two about that.
| Score | per 100 attempts | |
|---|---|---|
| 39.3 | 7.53 | |
| 26.3 | 6.1 | |
| 25.6 | 3.02 | |
| 25.0 | 5.61 | |
| 21.5 | 4.35 |
Looking at the roster, it’s no surprise that Gotham enjoyed an underdog run to the Challenge Cup final, as many key pieces from the 2020 team returned. Though major arrivals like Purce and ex-North Carolina Courage stalwart McCall Zerboni were all crucial in the teams’ turnaround last season, several other players that flew under the radar proved just as vital. Coombe’s new emphasis on possession play served as a boon for the teams’ passing numbers, which improved as the team focused on playing shorter and holding onto the ball for longer periods of time rather than continually sending searching long balls down the wings. The new system, when operating at full capacity, was methodical and composed, much to the benefit of Gotham’s fullbacks. At left back, Imani Dorsey’s progression from top draft pick forward to league-quality defender was fully completed, as the Duke alum was a one of the clubs’ most steady performers at the back. She posted an xPass score of 26.32 (meaning she completed 26 more passes than expected), a mark that was good for second in the league among all players. Opposite her on the field was another 2020 breakout at fullback, Sabrina Flores. Despite only making four appearances for the club prior to the Challenge Cup on a national team replacement contract, Flores emerged over the summer as the team’s preferred option at right back. The Livingston, New Jersey native received an xPass score of 21.5, placing her at fifth in the league, and in particular displayed an ability to cross the ball that few others in the NWSL can match.
Dorsey played a major role in the Challenge Cup, a penciled-in starter who’s instrumental on both sides of the ball, but Flores has yet to earn a start and made her first appearance of the season as a substitute against Louisville. She still will almost certainly be expected to be a factor once Gotham enters the grind of a regular season schedule.
No discussion of unexpected contributors for Gotham would be complete without a mention of Jennifer Cudjoe. Signed as a supplemental player after an impressive performance at an open tryout before the Challenge Cup, few expected Cudjoe to have the immediate impact she did. A well-rounded and dynamic midfielder who can contribute in all phases of the game, the former WPSL veteran ended up starting four of the club’s six games Challenge Cup games before she received a multi-year deal. She continued to excel after inking the longer deal, starting three fall series games and impressing with her continued growth and strong play throughout the 2021 spring.
However, despite the bright 2020 and excellent spring Challenge Cup, Gotham still enter the regular season with major questions. Both Mallory Pugh and midfielder Sarah Killion Woldmoe were traded to Chicago in January for draft picks, a deal that dealt a major blow to any projected opening day lineups that had been circulating at the time. Pugh, when fit, is one of the nations’ top young stars and had been expected by many to finally take the next step to full national teamer leading the line for Gotham in 2021. Killion Woldmoe’s departure was probably even more significant. The Indiana native was NJY’s captain and played every minute of every game for the side last year. So far Coombe’s answer to the loss of Pugh has been a heavy dose of Midge Purce. Almost unanimously considered to be a future USWNT stalwart, there’s a very good argument to be made that Purce could start in various spots for the Stars and Stripes should a World Cup match be held today. The Harvard graduate’s versatility is both a blessing and a curse- though she continues to show she can thrive in the fullback role USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski seems to prefer for her, Purce is a natural born attacker who perhaps is wasted outside of the opponents final third. She seems to have been finally “freed” this season in the wake of Pugh’s departure, starting every game she’s been available up front and notching a pair of goals in four games. Another new player to keep an eye on in the club’s search to replace last season’s production is Sodam Lee. Lee’s passing numbers in the Korean league were excellent, and she’s offered a strong presence in the midfield throughout the spring Challenge Cup that has been vital in ensuring Gotham keeps ticking without Killion Woldmoe.
The goalie position is another area to keep an eye on. Kailen Sheridan is undoubtedly one of the leagues’ top goalkeepers, but her timetable to return after sustaining a quad injury against the United States in February is still unknown (though she’s said her goal is to be back by the Olympics). Regardless of the exact date, until summer Gotham will need to go without possibly their best performer throughout the last few years in net. Didi Haracic was the starter in the Challenge Cup, and quickly established herself as a more than worthy stand-in. Looking ahead to the season it’s unlikely Haracic gets dropped given her strong performances so far, but it wouldn’t be out of the question for Coombe to give former Virginia Tech standout Mandy McGlynn her first career minutes in a denser spring schedule.
The final question mark in New Jersey heading into 2021 is the return of Carli Lloyd. Though she sat out last season, the question for the regular season is less about whether she will play and more about where she will play. Though she’s started at center forward in every game she’s been available for Gotham this spring, she’s frequently dropped deeper into more of a midfield role as games have progressed. Lloyd’s versatility is not a new consideration for Gotham, as she’s switched between forward and midfielder for club and country for years now depending on where she fits best, but this year will likely be the first one in a while where there will be other top-level weapons around the 38-year-old Delran, New Jersey native in Harrison. No matter where she is on the field, Lloyd has shown she has more than enough in the tank for another year- going the full 90 minutes in every game she’s played so far- as well as plenty to prove with the Olympics looming and a starting spot in the USWNT up for grabs.
North Carolina: Underdogs! No, Really... Actual Underdogs This Time
By Jay Carter
The defending NWSL champions have a slightly different look to them coming into the 2021 NWSL season. This is what happens when the team will start the season minus the 2020 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year...and also two of the other four finalists for that award. In addition, the Courage lost outstanding left back Jaelene Daniels, starting goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé and a few players that would have been expected to have major roles this year in the absence of the USWNT stalwarts at the olympics. Lauren Milliet and Addisyn Merrick are gone to Racing Louisville via the expansion draft. Ally Watt leaves in a trade with OL Reign that brought Taylor Smith back to the team that saw her break (briefly) into the USWNT picture. The Taylor Smith trade also brought in the rights to English international Jodie Taylor, which were then rerouted to Orlando to bring in Carson Pickett.
The 2020 season was a bit of a bad fever dream, with the Courage winning their first four Challenge Cup games before running into an all-time great goalkeeping performance from Britt Eckerstrom in their quarterfinal loss to their arch rivals, the Portland Thorns. Then, by the time the Fall Series rolled around, between loans, transfers and opt outs, the roster looked extremely different and coach Paul Riley had installed a very different formation. The 3-1-4-2 never quite looked right in the Fall Series games but it did produce some entertaining and high-scoring -- if not always Courage-favorable -- affairs. It’s tough to figure out what lessons to take from the 2020 season and offseason other than it’s a safe bet that this team isn’t the NWSL (and wider women’s soccer) equivalent of the Monstars any more.
| From | Out | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Roar | Abby Dahlkemper | Manchester City | |
| SC Sand | Jaelene Daniels | Retirement | |
| OL Reign | Crystal Dunn | The Weeds | |
| Reading FC | Stephanie Labbé | FC Rosengård | |
| OL Reign | McKenzie Meehan | Retirement | |
| College - Wake Forest | Addisyn Merrick | Racing Louisville | |
| Orlando Pride | Samantha Mewis | Manchester City | |
| Apollon Ladies | Lauren Milliet | Racing Louisville | |
| OL Reign | Sinclaire Miramontez | Waived | |
| Ally Watt | OL Reign |
However…
It seems ridiculous to say, but it is possible the Courage lost the US Player of the Year (Mewis), a former NWSL MVP (Dunn), the player that played more minutes than anyone for the best team in the world as they won the World Cup (Dahlkemper), the best left back in the league (Daniels)...and kept their best player.
How can this be?
(Photo via Getty)
Debinha
Debinha is an elite attacking midfielder with a legitimate claim to being the best player in the NWSL. The Brazilian playmaker was the 2019 NWSL Championship game MVP in a year where she was 3rd in g+ 2019 behind (earmuffs, Chicago fans) 2019 MVP Sam Kerr and Courage teammate Lynn Willams. In 2020, Debinha led all midfield players in goals added (g+) and was just behind...Courage teammate Lynn Williams again. The incredible 2020 that Kristie Mewis put together clocks in at 3.05 g+, still nearly an entire goal behind Debinha’s 3.80. Debinha kicked off 2021 with three goals to lead all scorers in the Challenge Cup. One of the best players in the world, Debinha is simply a force.
The Attack
The Courage remain a completely terrifying outfit in attack. While Lynn Williams, the 2016 NWSL MVP and second leading all time goal scorer in league history, figures to miss time this year with the USWNT for camps and maybe even the Olympics, North Carolina will rely on the fourth leading all time NWSL goal scorer and 2018 NWSL Championship game MVP (not to mention World Champion), Jessica McDonald. JMac was injured for most of the 2020 Challenge Cup before opting out of the Fall Series but she has proven over many years to be an extremely effective forward in the NWSL and with five goal involvements (2G/3A) in the 2021 Challenge Cup, she shows no signs of slowing down. Partnering JMac in attack will be her understudy from the 2019 World Cup time, the extremely capable Kristen Hamilton. Hammy put in a very nice nine goals and five assists in 2019 before heading to Western Sydney to bag another seven goals and two assists. Hamilton’s 2020 didn’t live up to her 1.22 g+ above average in 2019 but she’s off the mark in 2021 with two goals in a little over two 90s. Hailie Mace returns from a very successful loan spell in Sweden for Kristianstad where she managed over 1.0 G+A per 90. It may be a bit of a rotating cast of partners for Debinha at the 10, but with everyone available, this should be one of the top attacks in the league, if not the best.
Behind the extremely dangerous attack, there are many questions.
Who will partner Denise O’Sullivan in central midfield?
Who will partner Abby Erceg in defense?
What kind of fullback play can NC get out of Merritt Mathias, who is coming off of a big knee injury, and new acquisition Carson Pickett?
The Midfield
In the midfield number six roles, Meredith Speck and Havana Solaun got the nod when O’Sullivan was away on international duty to begin the Challenge Cup with another central midfield player, Cari Roccaro, drafted into central defense. Hailie Mace even got a run at the six in the last Challenge Cup game against Orlando, where she looked fairly comfortable. To bolster the midfield, NC also brought in 85 cap Welsh international Angharad (Haz) James from Reading FC. Haz will join the team soon, having just wrapped up the FAWSL season.
A quick peek at Haz’s statistical profile shows a player that could be quite interesting playing at the six in the NC box midfield. She is above the 85th percentile for midfielders in the WSL in tackles, interceptions and blocks and attempts 5.25 progressive passes per 90 minutes (91st percentile). She could complete more of her long passes but she had a notable jump in long pass completion this year from 44.9% in 2019-20 to 58.9% in 2020-21 and I doubt hitting long balls to the NC frontrunners is going to lower that number. Of course, if a certain Tower of Power decides to come back, whether on loan or permanently, things are quite different.
Fullbacks
The fullback play of North Carolina has fueled a lot of the past success of the team with NC fullbacks routinely being g+ superstars. Of the top 10 fullback seasons since 2018, four are NC fullbacks. A lot of that is in the quality of the players NC has fielded in those positions like Jae Daniels, Merritt Mathias and long-time USWNT standout Heather O'Reilly, but the NC system generates opportunities for the fullbacks to contribute to the attack like no other team in the league. Losing Jaelene Daniels is a huge issue but NC made a sneaky good pickup (and on the cheap!) in Carson Pickett coming in from Orlando. It would be easy to overlook a player that’s been slightly below average (in g+ terms) on non-playoff teams in Seattle and then Orlando but maybe there is a chance for her to be in better positions to succeed in Cary than on those teams. Specifically, she is a very adept crosser now playing in a system that gets fullbacks into positions to cross...a lot.
| Jaelene Daniels | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| 684 | 801 | 1260 | 1742 | |
| 69.2% | 66.8% | 64.9% | 67.9% | |
| 66.1% | 65.5% | 65.4% | 67.7% | |
| 3.1% | 1.3% | -0.5% | 0.2% | |
| 33 | 56 | 132 | 181 | |
| 27.3% | 35.7% | 35.6% | 16.0% | |
| 20.8% | 22.7% | 25.8% | 19.8% | |
| 6.5% | 13.0% | 9.8% | -3.7% | |
Pickett’s cross completion rate is outrageous. League average in that time frame for completion percentage of crosses is 24.8%. Through the 2021 Challenge Cup, Pickett is running about five completed passes per 100 above expected, so that is a good sign that her passing ability has traveled well. In years past, Jae Daniels’ connection with the NC forwards, Jess McDonald in particular, turned into a lot of goals. If Pickett can get on the same page with her new teammates and provide the high quality service she has provided in her other stops it will be a huge help to an NC team that needs its fullbacks to be good.
Wrap Up
The defensive questions are going to decide how the NC season goes. The Courage’s 2021 Challenge Cup defense was #notgood. It’s safe to say they will benefit from having more of their defenders fit and available (not least 2018 NWSL Defender of the Year and Club Captain, Abby Erceg). In addition, finding a stable midfield partnership that can mitigate some of the more dangerous attacks at source will take pressure off the back line (even though in the past there hasn’t been a need to take but so much pressure off of the Abbys playing CB). If North Carolina can get to an average defense without sacrificing too much offense, this team is extremely dangerous. They should make the playoffs, but this is the type of team that you will probably wait too long to panic if things don’t go well. It’s easy to trust that the offense can bail them out (it probably can, but will it?) even if the defense doesn’t come along for the ride.
If nothing else, Paul Riley has said in the past that he would be fine winning every game 5-4. Shootouts are fun. Right? Right?!?