Taking a look at the Gotham FC preseason depth chart for 2025 | OneFootball

After another offseason of change, NJ/NY Gotham FC named the initial preseason roster on Wednesday afternoon. The list included 14 returning players from the end of last season, and 10 new acquisitions. Those new acquisitions break down as follows: five college free agents, two players acquired via trade, two international signings, and one under-18 signing.

Notably since the announcement, the number has gone from 24 to 23 since Jenna Nighswonger transferred to Arsenal Women Football Club. Rose Lavelle was named on the roster despite her injury and is supposedly with the team in Spain.

So, after all of these new acquisitions, how does the depth chart shake out? Who is potentially in line to start week one against the Seattle Reign FC? Let's take a look at the depth chart at this point of the preseason for Gotham FC.

Gotham FC’s depth chart as the preseason begins

Goalkeepers

The goalkeeper position is probably the most straightforward. Last year's Goalkeeper of the Year and NWSL Best XI member Ann-Katrin Berger will enter 2025 as the number one goalkeeper with the newly acquired Shelby Hogan as the number two.

Ryan Campbell, a college free agent who joined UCLA as a grad transfer after four years at Stanford University, rounds out the keeper depth chart as the number three. Barring injury or an unforeseen, and abnormally large, drop in form from Berger, one should not expect this to change much throughout the the season.

Defenders

Gotham FC supporters should anticipate the same back four that started the two playoff games to be the starters entering this season. Jess Carter will start as the right-back, Mandy Freeman will be on the left, and Tierna Davidson and Emily Sonnett will be the starting tandem in the middle. The depth behind them is where the changes for 2025 come.

If an injury or suspension to Sonnett or Davidson were to occur, then Freeman or Carter should slide to the middle with Bruninha, who can play both full-back positions, starting out wide. Although, if head coach Juan Carlos Amorós opts for a one-for-one swap in the middle without changing the rest of his back four, then next in line would be college free agent Lilly Reale. Reale, a four-year starter at UCLA, won her conference Defender of the Year Award three times, twice in the Pac-12 and once in the Big Ten.

At full-back, as mentioned earlier, Bruninha would be the first player to step in on either side. Another player on the full-back depth chart is Taryn Torres. Despite being listed as a midfielder, Torres did see minutes at full-back last season, so do not be surprised if she could be there again at times this season.

Midfielders

Following the departure of Delanie Sheehan to the Houston Dash in free agency, the Gotham midfield will look different in 2025, both tactically and from a personnel perspective. Jaelin Howell, acquired from Seattle in the offseason, could be her replacement. Howell is more of a defensive midfielder than Sheehan is, so she can play deeper in midfield, forming a double pivot with Nealy Martin. Lavelle remains the number one option in the attacking midfield, but an offseason ankle surgery means she might miss the beginning of the season.

For depth in the defensive midfield spot, Torres returns from last year's team. Another potential option could be moving Sonnett out of the backline and into midfield, something she did in parts of 2024. Sofia Cook, a college free agent from, once again, UCLA, is another one who adds depth to the midfield. Cook would signal a slight change in formation and tactics as she profiles as more of an attacking eight rather than a defensive midfielder.

Behind Lavelle in the attacking mid position is new signing Stella Nyamekye. Nyamekye was captain of Ghana's U-20 World Cup team in September of 2024 where she scored two goals in the team's three group games.

Other options include sliding either Esther González or Ella Stevens in or potentially playing them as a false nine, as well as potentially slotting Cook into this position instead.

Forwards

The expected Gotham FC front three looks to involve either González or Stevens at the striker position, with Cece Kizer on the left, and new signing Gabi Portilho on the right. Depth options include the returning Jéssica Silva who can play out wide, 14-year-old Mak Whitham who joins as a fully contracted player after making a few Summer Cup cameos last season, and two college free agents.

Sarah Schupansky from the University of Pittsburgh is a playmaking winger who led Division I college soccer with 15 assists in 2024. She joins the forward group by Khyah Harper from the University of Minnesota. Harper had a standout senior season finishing top ten in the nation in goals with 17.

At the time of writing, Midge Purce has yet to re-sign with Gotham. It is unknown when, if at all, she will return to the New Jersey team. If she does, she would slot in near to or at the top of the depth chart on either wing depending on where she is in her ACL recovery.

Currently, the roster sits at 23 players after Nighswonger's departure. Supporters should not be surprised if the team fills out its roster with additional signings before the season starts in March. The Gotham FC depth chart will most likely change and grow in size between now and the start of the season.