Gotham FC believe that they have a special talent on their hands in rookie forward Jordynn Dudley.

The 21-year-old is yet to log a full 90-minute match, but her early contributions have stood out to two-time NWSL championship-winning head coach Juan Carlos Amorós.

Actually, Amorós noticed Dudley’s high-ceiling potential years before she signed for Gotham, while he was observing her during friendly matches.

“Jordynn is a very special player,” Amorós said recently. “Everyone has seen that. We always joke, even from a friendly a couple of years ago, that she was already extraordinary.”

Dudley joined the Bats in late January on a three-year contract after she won a pair of national championships with Florida State University, where she earned three-time first-team All-American honors.

Already, Amorós is describing her as a “very complete player.”

That’s high praise given that the 41-year-old coach works with decorated forwards like Esther González, Katie Lampson and Midge Purce on a daily basis.

What Makes Dudley a Unique Attacking Talent

“She’s a really special player,” Amorós said of Dudley. “Not only because of what everyone can see, like her ability to run in behind, be aggressive in 1-v-1s and score goals — but her commitment to defend is unbelievable. Her final pass is very special. She has very good vision, she’s good at hold-up play, and she’s a very complete player.”

Amorós is equally impressed with Dudley’s composure, which she displayed during her NWSL debut as a substitute against Boston Legacy on March 14.

Dudley was fouled persistently as Boston players tried to throw her off her game. Other rookies may have reacted by angrily confronting their opponents, raising an elbow or putting in a hard tackle out of frustration.

It’s clear that Dudley isn’t an ordinary rookie because she kept her calm under pressure.

“The mental attribute I saw last week was her ability to stay calm when things are challenging,” he said. “When you’re young, you can react in those situations. For her to stay composed and continue to play her game was very important.”

Howell Praises Dudley’s Early Impact

Gotham teammate and former Florida State standout Jaelin Howell kept constant tabs on Dudley’s development. The 26-year-old midfielder believes that Dudley possesses game-changing attributes with her pace, hold-up play and goal-getting potential.

“I watched her a lot at Florida State and have always been a big fan of Jordynn,” Howell said. “I was excited to get her here at Gotham.

“She’s come in and given us speed up top and helped stretch the game, which has really helped our attack. She holds the ball up well, is good on the ball, and I think she’s going to be a forward in this league who scores a lot of goals. I’m really excited about her.”

Dudley: ‘I Just Need To Continue Pushing Myself’

Last Saturday, Dudley made her first career NWSL start. She was replaced after 61 minutes in a 0-0 home-opening draw against the North Carolina Courage.

“Everyone who made it to this point is here for a reason, and I try to believe that in myself, too,” Dudley said following the match. “I’ve done all the work, so I just need to continue pushing myself and continue doing what I have been doing.”

Dudley is striving to improve match after match. Howell and her Gotham teammates, the technical staff and Amorós are all providing input and challenging this high-potential rookie to adapt quickly to the demands of a top-tier league in the NWSL.

“He’s been amazing for me,” Dudley said of Amorós. “Even before I chose to come here, I felt like he believed in me and knew what I could do. He’s continued showing me how to do things and pushing me to do everything I can to be better.”

Dudley has the ability, the right attitude and the correct application to accomplish great things in this league. Before the season started, several analysts pointed to her as a potential NWSL Rookie of the Year candidate.

While that may or may not come to be, it’s clear that Dudley is going to be around for a long time and make a big impact for Gotham FC.

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