Gotham FC forward turned stand-in right-back Midge Purce believes that the fourth-place Bats aren’t even close to playing their best football.
“I think we have another level,” Purce said in the mixed zone following Gotham’s 1-0 home victory over Racing Louisville FC on Sunday.
“I actually think we haven’t even gotten close yet to how good we could be once we really understand each other’s relationships. This is the first we’ve seen of us playing the same tactics well and having the right structure and movement.”
Gotham Overcoming Adversity During Three-Game Winning Run
Gotham has rolled off three straight NWSL victories over a span of 10 days despite being tested by several injuries to first-choice and depth defenders. Purce and fellow natural winger Guro Reiten have been forced into wing-back duty.
Bruninha (hamstring), Mandy Freeman (lower leg) and Emily Sonnett (lower leg) missed Sunday’s match. Kayla Duran is out for the season due to a season-ending right ACL injury.
A late flight home from Chicago after last Wednesday’s away match was another obstacle thrown in Gotham’s way.
“Three-game sweep feels good,” Purce stated. “These games are really important, and it’s easy to let one slip or let your focus slip in a three-game week. I’m really proud of the group for staying concentrated because we were all fatigued after getting back at 3 a.m. from Chicago midweek.”
Purce Adjusting Quickly to Right-Back Role
Until Gotham’s injury situation improves, Purce will continue to be asked to play right-back, and she’s been putting in plenty of preparation in training.
“I’m still adjusting,” Purce explained. “I wasn’t training there all that much before getting game time there, so now I’m trying to make sure I get reps in practice and stay focused so I can get my mindset back into right-back.”
Purce has appeared in seven NWSL matches, logging 448 minutes. The 30-year-old has completed 75 percent of passes and won six tackles.
Recovering Lilly Reale Pushing for Return To Starting XI
The defending champions hope that 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale will return to the starting XI soon. Reale has played for a combined 57 minutes across two substitute appearances since returning from a lower-leg injury.
Head coach Juan Carlos Amorós is expecting to hand increased minutes to Reale, provided that she doesn’t have any setbacks.
“She’s doing better,” Amorós said of Reale during Sunday’s post-match press conference. “She picked up a little knock last week or two weeks ago. Lilly is a very important player for us. Luckily, we’ve got her back into this last couple of games to at least be there for half an hour and hopefully if all goes well she can be adding more and more minutes.”
Purce’s assessment that Gotham can reach a higher level is likely correct given how bad injury luck, players playing out of preferred positions, and the delayed arrival of Reiten have thrown curveballs into the Bats’ title defense.
Emma Hayes, Zohran Mamdani Among Notable Attendees for Upcoming Match Against Boston Legacy
Saturday’s match against Boston Legacy FC will be a chance for Purce and Gotham to continue pushing standards higher, and there will be a few VIPs visiting Sports Illustrated Stadium.
United States women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes will be in attendance and will serve as the pre-match torch lighter. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will also be attending, and his affordable ticket initiative saw 1,000 tickets priced at $5 sell out in under an hour after being listed.
The May 9 match is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m.
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