Team News: O’Sullivan Earns First Gotham FC Start, Kerr Set for 50th Appearance

Denise O’Sullivan makes her first start for Gotham FC and Sam Kerr is set to make her 50th regular season appearance for the club as Gotham FC faces Denver Summit FC at Centennial Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

O’Sullivan, who returned from a knee injury last week against Portland Thorns FC, is one of two changes made by coach Juan Carlos Amorós, who returns to the touchline following a five-week parental leave. Bruninha makes her second start of the regular season and first since Aug. 7, replacing Mandy Freeman.

Gotham FC (13-3-6, 45 points) enters Sunday with a five-point lead atop the NWSL standings over second-place Washington Spirit. The club will look to extend its club-record unbeaten streak following last week’s 1-1 draw against Portland. Gotham FC is tied for the second-best road record in the NWSL at 6-2-2 (20 points), level with San Diego and trailing only Washington.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET, with CBS carrying the national broadcast.

Kerr leads the attack, flanked by Jordynn Dudley on the right and former Chelsea teammate Guro Reiten on the left. Kerr will become the 26th player to reach 50 regular season appearances with the club. Her next game-winning goal would be the 20th of her NWSL regular season career, making her the fourth player in league history to reach that mark.

Jaedyn Shaw returns to the midfield alongside Colorado native Jaelin Howell and O’Sullivan. The 32-year-old Irish international replaces Savannah McCaskill and makes her fourth appearance for Gotham since joining the club in July. Shaw scored her sixth goal of the season against Portland last week, moving into a tie for the team lead, and also leads Gotham FC with four assists. Howell is the only player to start every match for the club this season.

Bruninha starts on the left side of the back line, with Midge Purce on the right and the regular center-back pairing of Jess Carter and captain Tierna Davidson in front of goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. Davidson and Berger were recently named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month for August, presented by Amazon Prime, marking Davidson’s second selection of the season. Berger posted a league-best 0.50 goals-against average in August and is one shutout away from breaking her own single-season club record of 10, set in 2025.

Gotham FC’s bench includes goalkeepers Shelby Hogan and Teagan Wy; defender Mandy Freeman; midfielders Tess Boade, Savannah McCaskill, Talia Sommer, Meredith Speck and Taryn Torres; and forward Andrea Kitahata.

Midfielders Sofia Cook (lower leg) and Rose Lavelle (head) are unavailable for the second consecutive week, according to the player availability report. Defenders Kayla Duran (knee) and Emily Sonnett (knee) remain on the NWSL season-ending injury list.

Gotham FC lineup vs. Denver Summit FC

30 – Ann-Katrin Berger (GK)

23 – Midge Purce

27 – Jess Carter

15 – Tierna Davidson (C)

3 – Bruninha

7 – Jaelin Howell

10 – Jaedyn Shaw

5 – Denise O’Sullivan

2 – Jordynn Dudley

20 – Sam Kerr

18 – Guro Reiten

Substitutes: 1 – Shelby Hogan (GK), 31 – Teagan Wy (GK); 8 – Taryn Torres, 13 – Savannah McCaskill, 14 – Talia Sommer, 22 – Mandy Freeman, 24 – Andrea Kitahata, 25 – Meredith Speck, 28 – Tess Boade