Team News: Cook Returns to Starting XI for Seattle Showdown

Gotham FC looks to continue its climb up the NWSL table Friday night as Sofia Cook makes her first start since March for the club’s matchup against Seattle Reign FC at Lumen Field at 10 p.m. ET.

Cook, who made her debut NWSL start against Denver Summit FC on March 25, is the lone change to the starting XI following last week’s 1-1 draw to Boston Legacy FC at home. Lead assistant coach Shaun Harris will stand in for head coach Juan Carlos Amorós, who remains home with his family after the recent birth of his second child.

Gotham (4-2-3, 15 points) enters Friday night unbeaten in four straight matches, and seeks a seventh consecutive unbeaten result against Seattle across all competitions. A win could lift Gotham as high as third in the NWSL standings.

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The attacking trio of Jordynn Dudley, Jaedyn Shaw and Spanish striker Esther González remains unchanged for a fifth straight match. González will make her 51st regular season career start, while Shaw, who became the second-youngest player in league history to reach 20 career regular-season goals last week against Boston, leads Gotham in goal contributions this year with four. Dudley heads into Seattle with 15 completed dribbles, second-most in the NWSL behind San Diego’s Dudinha (18).

Cook slides into the midfield in front of the dynamic duo of Savannah McCaskill and Jaelin Howell. The pair have started every game this regular season, with Howell playing all but 14 minutes all year. McCaskill’s next regular-season goal will be the 20th of her career.

Defensively, Guro Reiten and Midge Purce flank center backs Jess Carter and captain Tierna Davidson for a fifth consecutive game together. Gotham’s backline continues to set a standard across the league, allowing only an NWSL-best five goals this season and just 26 shots on target, second-fewest in the league behind the San Diego Wave.

Ann-Katrin Berger will lead between the posts and aim for her 25th career shutout, which would tie Katelyn Rowland for 10th-most in league history. Gotham already leads the NWSL with six shoutouts through nine matches this season.

U.S. Women’s National Team defenders Emilly Sonnett and Lilly Reale are available off the bench, which also includes goalkeeper Shelby Hogan; midfielders Sarah Schupansky and Talia Sommer; and forwards Khyah Harper, Andrea Kitahata, Katie Lampson and Mak Whitham.

Midfielder Rose Laville remains out with a hamstring injury, while defenders Bruninha and Mandy Freeman are also unavailable per the player availability report. Defender Kayla Duran (knee) and midfielder Taryn Torres (knee) are both on the season-ending injury list.

Gotham FC lineup vs. Seattle Reign FC

30 – Ann-Katrin Berger (GK)

23 – Midge Purce

27 – Jess Carter

15 – Tierna Davidson (c)

18 – Guro Reiten

7 – Jaelin Howell

21 – Sofia Cook

13 – Savannah McCaskill

2 – Jordynn Dudley

9 – Esther González

10 – Jaedyn Shaw

Substitutes: 1 – Shelby Hogan (GK); 4 – Lilly Reale, 6 – Emily Sonnett, 11 – Sarah Schupansky, 14 – Talia Sommer, 17 – Mak Whitham, 24 – Andrea Kitahata, 28 – Katie Lampson, 34 – Khyah Harper