Team News: O’Sullivan Returns to Starting XI in North Carolina

Denise O’Sullivan is set to make her second start for Gotham FC as the club faces her former team, the North Carolina Courage, in its third-straight road match.

O’Sullivan, who won two NWSL Championships, two Challenge Cups and three NWSL Shields with the Courage, is the only change made by Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós after the team’s 2-1 victory over Racing Louisville FC last week. Gotham FC looks to carry that winning momentum into First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park for the teams’ second meeting of the season.

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET, with ION carrying the national broadcast.

Gotham FC (14-4-6, 48 points) enters Saturday having held the top spot in the NWSL standings for seven consecutive matchweeks, dating back to Week 15. The club holds a three-point lead over the now second-place San Diego Wave FC following a Friday win over the Kansas City Current. A victory for Gotham FC would inch the club closer to clinching its fourth-straight NWSL playoff appearance, dependent on additional results this weekend.

O’Sullivan, the 32-year-old Irish international, replaces Savannah McCaskill in the midfield, joining Jaelin Howell and recently-named Ballon d’Or nominee Rose Lavelle. Howell, the only Gotham player to start every regular season game this season, will make her 50th appearance and start for the club on Saturday night.

Sam Kerr leads the attack, with Jordynn Dudley to her right and Jaedyn Shaw to her left. Shaw became the youngest player in NWSL history to reach 10 career regular-season game-winners with her second-half strike against Louisville last week. Kerr is only one game-winning goal away from Midge Purce’s club record of 10.

On the backline, Purce and Guro Reiten flank center backs Jess Carter and captain Tierna Davidson. Reiten scored her first NWSL goal since joining the squad in March in the win over Racing, becoming the first Norwegian to pscore in league history.

The quartet will start for the 12th time this season in front of goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, as the club looks to maintain its league-best mark for fewest goals conceded. Berger is one shutout shy from besting her own single-season club record of 10 she set in 2025..

Gotham FC’s bench includes goalkeeper Teagan Wy; defenders Bruninha and Mandy Freeman; midfielders McCaskill, Tess Boade, Talia Sommer, Meredith Speck and Taryn Torres; and forward Andrea Kitahata,.

Goalkeeper Shelby Hogan (illness) and midfielder Sofia Cook (lower leg) are unavailable, per the player availability report. Defenders Kayla Duran (knee) and defender Emily Sonnett (knee) are both on the season-ending injury list.

Gotham FC lineup at North Carolina Courage

30 – Ann-Katrin Berger (GK)

23 – Midge Purce

27 – Jess Carter

15 – Tierna Davidson (c)

18 – Guro Reiten

5 – Denise O’Sullivan

7 – Jaelin Howell

16 – Rose Lavelle

2 – Jordynn Dudley

20 – Sam Kerr

10 – Jaedyn Shaw

Substitutes: 31 – Teagan Wy (GK); 3 – Bruninha, 8 – Taryn Torres, 13 – Savannah McCaskill, 14 – Talia Sommer, 22 – Mandy Freeman, 24 – Andrea Kitahata, 25 – Meredith Speck, 28 – Tess Boade