Goals from Midge Purce and Sam Kerr earned Gotham FC a 2-2 draw on Friday night in Portland, which was enough for the Bats to move into first place in the NWSL standings.
Yet, it was a team performance that both Purce and Kerr were disappointed with and of greater concern was a non-contact injury to key defender Emily Sonnett, who suffered a non-contact left knee injury.
Sonnett’s Injury Overshadows 2-2 Draw
The 32-year-old United States international stepped up to challenge Thorns forward Pietra Tordin in the seventh minute. Her left knee buckled when she planted her left leg, and she collapsed to the pitch. Immediately, Kerr and Guro Reiten called for medical staff.
Sonnett was stretchered off in the 11th minute and was replaced by veteran defender Mandy Freeman.
An immediate update wasn’t available on Sonnett’s injury following the match. The 5-foot-7 defender will not travel with the club for the remainder of Gotham’s road trip and will return to New Jersey to be reevaluated.
“It’s always hard when you lose one of your best players,” acting head coach Shaun Harris said during Friday’s post-match press conference. “Emily is someone who really organizes the team, understands the game plan well and is good on the ball. Once you take her out, we have people to fill in, but that early in the game, it’s a bit shocking for people.
“Emily is one of our key players and a leader on and off the pitch. It’s really difficult when you lose such a great and important player that early in the game.”
It was Gotham’s first match since head coach Juan Carlos Amorós departed on a five-week parental leave. Harris took charge of the team earlier this season while Amorós was unavailable, and he will continue to serve as acting head coach until Amorós returns in September.
Kerr: ‘We Were Quite Poor Today’
Kerr started her first NWSL game since the 2019 NWSL Championship, which occurred on October 27, 2019. The Australian international delivered an equalizing goal from a corner kick opportunity in the 62nd minute.
“I’m obviously happy to score and help the team,” Kerr said after the draw. “But I expect more from myself, so I wasn’t too happy with how I played. Quite disappointing, to be honest.
“I thought we were quite poor today, to be honest. I thought we were probably lucky to get away with the tie in the end. I’m happy that we didn’t concede in the end, and happy that we didn’t lose.”
Striker Esther González was unavailable for the match at Providence Park. The 33-year-old who leads Gotham with six goals in league play is on an excused absence.
Purce Believes Gotham Left Points Behind
Purce, who scored the match’s opening goal in the second minute, agreed with Kerr’s assessment. The 30-year-old forward felt that Gotham should have secured all three points given their superior 63 percent possession and that Portland went down to 10 players after defender Jayden Perry was sent off in the 73rd minute.
“We definitely didn’t maintain the performance that we started off with for the first 10 or 15 minutes,” Purce stated. “I know we’re all really disappointed with that. But I do think we saw a flash of what we can do on the ball and in possession, and that’s really exciting. We’re definitely going to go back, look at the film and figure out a way to get three points when we’re a player up.”
Rookie forward Jordynn Dudley returned to action as a second-half substitute. It was the 21-year-old’s first appearance since she suffered a head injury during the July 15 match at Citi Field against the Spirit.
Recently-acquired midfielder Denise O’Sullivan played for 30 minutes in her second appearance since joining the Bats on July 14.
Gotham will continue their road trip in San Jose on Wednesday against Bay FC. Kickoff for Wednesday’s match at PayPal Park is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time and will be carried on CBS Sports Network.
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