Team News: Freeman Returns to Starting XI To Face Portland

Ten-year Gotham FC veteran Mandy Freeman is back in the starting lineup and Midge Purce is set to make her 150th career regular season appearance in the club’s return to Sports Illustrated Stadium on Friday night against Portland Thorns FC.

Freeman is the only change to Gotham FC’s starting XI made by acting head coach Shaun Harris after a scoreless draw to Angel City FC last Sunday, though the structure shifts. Guro Reiten, who has started as left back in 15 of her last 16 regular season starts since joining Gotham FC, moves to the left wing, with 21-year-old Jaedyn Shaw shifting into the midfield in place of Rose Lavelle, who sustained her head injury in Los Angeles and is unavailable for Sunday’s game.

Gotham FC (13-3-5, 44 points) remains atop of the NWSL standings and is unbeaten in nine consecutive matches, tying the club record. A win would extend its points lead over the second-place Washington Spirit to 10 ahead of the weekend’s match slate.

Friday’s contest is the 300th regular-season match for Gotham FC and Portland, the first of the original NWSL franchises to reach the mark, in their second meeting of the year after a 2-2 draw in July. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET, with Prime Video carrying the national broadcast.

Freeman, making her second start this season and first since July 18, slots into the left flank on defense opposite Purce on the right. Jess Carter and captain Tierna Davidson return as the center back duo for the sixth straight match. While Freeman extends her club appearance record to 128, Purce becomes the 53rd player in league history to make 150 regular season appearances.

Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger aims to break her own single-season club shutout record on Friday after recording her 10th clean sheet in Los Angeles. Berger became the first goalkeeper in NWSL history to post double-digit shutouts in consecutive seasons and the first to accomplish the feat with one club. Another clean sheet would make it Gotham FC’s 14th of 2026, breaking a tie for second place in league history.

Shaw leads the midfield alongside the regular pair of Savannah McCaskill and Jaelin Howell. Shaw, who has recorded three goals and four assists for Gotham FC in 2026, has started in all 18 of her regular season appearances this season and is tied for second on the team in shots with 32.

Reiten joins striker Sam Kerr and rookie Jordynn Dudley in the attacking front. Kerr has scored 10 goals in 17 career matches against Portland across all competitions, the second-most she has scored against a single opponent behind only 11 against the Orlando Pride.

Midfielder Denise O’Sullivan is available for selection for the first time since July 18 following her recovery from a knee injury. Gotham FC’s bench also includes goalkeepers Shelby Hogan and Teagan Wy; defender Bruninha; midfielders Taryn Torres, Sofia Cook, Talia Sommer, Meredith Speck and newest signing Tess Boade; and forward Andrea Kitahata.

Midfielder Sofia Cook (lower leg) joins Lavelle (head) as out per the player availability report. Defenders Kayla Duran (knee) and Emily Sonnett (knee) are on the season-ending injury list.

Gotham FC lineup vs. Portland Thorns FC

30 – Ann-Katrin Berger (GK)

23 – Midge Purce

27 – Jess Carter

15 – Tierna Davidson (c)

22 – Mandy Freeman

7 – Jaelin Howell10 – Jaedyn Shaw

13 – Savannah McCaskill

2 – Jordynn Dudley

20 – Sam Kerr

18 – Guro Reiten

Substitutes: 1 – Shelby Hogan (GK), 31 – Teagan Wy (GK); 3 – Bruninha, 5 – Denise O’Sullivan, 8 – Taryn Torres, 14 – Talia Sommer, 24 – Andrea Kitahata, 25 – Meredith Speck, 28 – Tess Boade