Team News: No Changes to Gotham FC’s Setup as NWSL Play Resumes

Gotham FC resumes NWSL regular season play on Saturday evening in San Diego with the identical lineup from its NWSL Challenge Cup victory last Friday in Columbus, Ohio.

Rookie sensation Jordynn Dudley and Spanish striker Esther González, the club’s newest all-time leading scorer, lead the line for a Gotham FC squad looking to extend its six-match unbeaten run in league play.

Gotham FC and the first-place San Diego Wave kick off at 8:45 p.m. ET at Snapdragon Stadium in Southern California, with ION set for the national broadcast. It’s Gotham FC’s first of three road matches in the Golden State this second half of the campaign, and it opens a two-match away swing with a July 10 fixture against surprise third-place Utah Royals.

To open the second portion of the 2026 NWSL season, coach Juan Carlos Amorós turns to a familiar slate of faces. Saturday’s starters blanked the Kansas City Current in their 2-0 cup win last week, with Dudley and González landing on the scoresheet.

Against San Diego, Dudley lines up on the right flank, opposite 21-year-old attacker Jaedyn Shaw, whose five combined assists and goals lead Gotham FC this season. González, with 29 goals across all competitions for Gotham FC, spearheads the attack ahead of the dynamic pair of 21-year-olds. It’s the eighth time the trio will start together.

In the midfield, U.S. Women’s National Team maestro Rose Lavelle pulls the strings ahead of 26-year-old Jaelin Howell and 29-year-old Savannah McCaskill. The midfield three has started eight of 12 NWSL regular season matches together. Lavelle’s 14 goals in 46 regular season matches with Gotham FC set a hard-charging new scoring pace after the 31-year-old netted nine goals in her previous 59 NWSL regular season games with other clubs.

Jess Carter moved from center back to right back for the NWSL Challenge Cup, and the England international stays there for the return to NWSL regular season action. She’ll play opposite former Chelsea teammate Guro Reiten, who takes up the left flank. Club captain Tierna Davidson and Emily Sonnett form the central pairing in front of goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who could move into a tie for second all-time in shutouts at Gotham FC with a clean sheet at San Diego.

Gotham FC’s bench includes 2023 NWSL Championship MVP Midge Purce and a pair of welcome additions after long-term injuries sidelined them through the first half of the season: defenders Bruninha and Mandy Freeman. Goalkeeper Shelby Hogan; midfielders Sofia Cook, Sarah Schupansky and Talia Sommer; and forwards Khyah Harper and Andrea Kitahata round out the substitutes bench.

Defender Kayla Duran (knee) and midfielder Taryn Torres (knee) are both on the season-ending injury list. Forward Mak Whitham is on international duty with the U.S. Youth National Team.

Gotham FC lineup vs. San Diego Wave FC

30 – Ann-Katrin Berger (GK)

27 – Jess Carter

6 – Emily Sonnett

15 – Tierna Davidson (c)

18 – Guro Reiten

7 – Jaelin Howell

13 – Savannah McCaskill

16 – Rose Lavelle

2 – Jordynn Dudley

9 – Esther González

10 – Jaedyn Shaw

Substitutes: 1 – Shelby Hogan (GK), 3 – Bruninha, 11 – Sarah Schupansky, 14 – Talia Sommer, 21 – Sofia Cook, 22 – Mandy Freeman, 23 – Midge Purce, 24 – Andrea Kitahata, 34 – Khyah Harper