Gotham FC will play for the first time in nearly four weeks on Friday night when the Bats take on the Kansas City Current in the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup.
Since 2024, the Challenge Cup has been typically held in early March as a prelude to the NWSL regular season.
This time around, it will be played at the neutral site of ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, Columbus, Ohio, which will serve as the home of a new expansion team when Columbus joins the NWSL’s ranks in 2028.
Gotham most recently earned a 1-0 home victory against the Houston Dash on May 31, with Rookie of the Year candidate Jordynn Dudley scoring the match’s only goal.
Gotham FC Team News Ahead of Challenge Cup Clash
The reigning NWSL champions will be without right-back Bruninha, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Midfielder Taryn Torres is also unavailable for Friday’s match, but she is pushing closer to returning to match action. Torres hasn’t played since she suffered a torn left ACL in training on September 14, 2025.
One positive on the injury front is that veteran defender Mandy Freeman is available for selection. The 31-year-old could make her first appearance for the Bats since she was injured in Gotham’s victory over AS FAR in the third-place game of the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup on February 1.
UPDATE: 7:10 P.M.
Gotham FC announced a starting XI of:
GK: Berger
DEFs: Carter, Sonnett, Davidson, Reiten
MIDs: Howell, McCaskill, Lavelle
FWDs: Dudley, Esther, Shaw
Subs: Hogan, Cook, Freeman, Harper, Kitahata, Lampson, Purce, Schupansky, Sommer
Since Gotham’s late May victory over Houston, the New Jersey-based club has begun altering its roster.
On June 17, last season’s Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale was traded to Boston Legacy FC in exchange for $350,000 in allocation money and $50,000 in intraleague transfer funds. That same day, The Athletic reported that world-class striker Sam Kerr will join Gotham this summer once her contract at Chelsea expires.
After Sonnett’s Extension, Lavelle’s Contract Status Comes Into Focus
On Friday, star midfielder Rose Lavelle will play in her home state of Ohio as Gotham supporters await developments regarding her contract situation.
Experienced defender Emily Sonnett agreed to a contract extension through 2028 on Thursday. The months are dwindling down on Lavelle’s current deal, and if nothing changes, she will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 NWSL season.
Clearly, head coach Juan Carlos Amorós, president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West and the entire organization holds Lavelle in high esteem. It would be surprising if Gotham doesn’t do everything possible to ensure that the 31-year-old remains in a Gotham uniform for years to come.
Gotham and Kansas City Players To Watch in Challenge Cup Clash
Jaedyn Shaw leads Gotham with four goals in regular-season play. Lavelle, Dudley and Esther González are tied for second with two NWSL goals apiece. Dudley and midfielder Savannah McCaskill have each contributed a team-high two assists in league play.
Star goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger is expected to start for Gotham after she recovered from an abdominal injury suffered during the Concacaf W Champions Cup.
Back-to-back NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga leads the way for the Current. The 27-year-old Malawian has netted seven goals through eight NWSL appearances this season.
Kansas City, who took home last season’s NWSL Shield, will be shorthanded on Friday due to a long list of injuries and unavailable players.
Alana Cook (knee – SEI), Vanessa DiBernardo (maternity leave), Clare Gagne (head – SEI), Mary Long (45-Day injury list), Lorena da Silva Leite (hip), Gianna Paul (thigh) are all listed as out for the Challenge Cup. Debinha de Oliveira is considered questionable due to a knee injury.
Amorós Targets First NWSL Challenge Cup Crown
While Gotham has lifted two NWSL championships and one Concacaf W Champions Cup over a stretch of the past three seasons, an NWSL Challenge Cup has eluded them.
Amorós and his squad are looking to add that elusive title on Friday by playing vibrant attacking football.
“It’s a trophy that is important for us, one that we as a club don’t have yet,” Amorós said during Thursday’s pre-match press conference. “For us, coming to a new place like Columbus, where there isn’t an NWSL team yet, and being able to play in front of the fans is exciting. Hopefully, they fall in love with the way we are on the pitch and the way we play.
“We’ve got a fantastic team full of individual and collective talent that is going to go out and do its best to make sure the players have fun, the people in the stands have fun, and, hopefully, we leave with the trophy.”
Kickoff for Friday’s contest is set for 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Prime Video will stream the national broadcast.
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