Team News: New Arrival Shaw Available as Sub at San Diego

Gotham FC’s newest addition, young star Jaedyn Shaw, is available off the bench as a substitute for Friday night’s matchup at San Diego.

Shaw, a league-record $1.25 million transfer who joined Gotham FC earlier this week, could make her club debut against her first NWSL team, the Wave, in a pivotal match at Snapdragon Stadium. The 20-year-old Olympic gold medalist rang up 13 goals and four assists in 49 appearances with San Diego, helping the 2023 squad claim the NWSL Shield.

While the Texas native is the only new addition to Gotham’s 20-player selection, coach Juan Carlos Amorós made two changes to his team’s starting lineup after Sunday’s win over Angel City, reinserting Rose Lavelle and Midge Purce into the fold after their standout substitute appearances in the 3-1 victory.

A win tonight could nudge Gotham FC (7-6-6, 27 points) as high as third in the NWSL standings as the 2025 campaign sprints toward its regular season end. The match kicks off at 10 p.m. ET and will be nationally televised by Prime.

Lavelle, 30, notched her first goal since returning from ankle surgery in June to give Gotham the win against Angel City. She’ll wear the captain’s arm band and partner with Esther González and Jaelin Howell in the midfield to give the visitors some serious attacking firepower through the middle – González is the NWSL joint-leading scorer (12 goals) while Howell has scored three times in her last seven appearances.

Purce leads the line up front after registering her first assist of the campaign, a perfectly-weighted cross to Brazilian winger Gabi Portilho, who flicked in Gotham’s first goal against Angel City. Portilho and fellow Brazilian Geyse round out the attacking group.

Defensively, Gotham will look familiar: Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger can nudge closer to Kansas City’s league-leading Lorena (10 shutouts) if she can claim an eighth clean sheet of the year. In front of the German, American defenders Lilly Reale and Emily Sonnett will pair up with English center back Jess Carter and Brazilian fullback Bruninha for the group’s third straight start together.

In addition to the newcomer Shaw, the substitutes bench features goalkeeper Shelby Hogan; defenders Kayla Duran and Mandy Freeman; midfielders Josefine Hasbo, Sarah Schupansky and Taryn Torres; and forwards Khyah Harper and Katie Stengel.

Defender Tierna Davidson and forward Ella Stevens were previously listed as out through injury on the NWSL player availability report.

Gotham FC lineup at San Diego Wave

30 – Ann-Katrin Berger (GK)

3 – Bruninha

6 – Emily Sonnett

27 – Jess Carter

4 – Lilly Reale

7 – Jaelin Howell

9 – Esther González

16 – Rose Lavelle ©

23 – Midge Purce

10 – Geyse

18 – Gabi Portilho

Substitutes: 1 – Shelby Hogan (GK); 2 – Jaedyn Shaw, 5 — Josefine Hasbo, 8 – Taryn Torres, 11 – Sarah Schupansky, 19 – Kayla Duran, 22 – Mandy Freeman, 28 – Katie Stengel, 34 – Khyah Harper