HARRISON, NJ (Thursday, January 4, 2024) – NJ/NY Gotham FC today announced that the club has signed U.S. Women’s National Team midfielders, Olympians, and FIFA Women’s World Cup Champions Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett – also a two-time NWSL Champion – to multiyear contracts with the club through 2026. 

“We are incredibly excited to have two exceptional talents like Rose and Emily join the club,” said Gotham FC General Manager and Head of Soccer Operations Yael Averbuch West. “Rose is a crafty and entertaining player, and our fans and club will be very excited to watch her at Red Bull Arena, and Sonnett is a true professional and competitor, who understands what success in the league looks like. The club and our fans are extremely excited to have players of their stature as we build upon the success of last season.”  

On Rose Lavelle… 

Rose Lavelle has spent the last three seasons with OL Reign in Seattle, where she won the 2022 NWSL Shield for the best regular-season record. After returning from injury, she appeared in seven matches and started in six across all competitions in 2023, recording one goal and two assists. The midfielder also helped OL Reign advance to the 2023 NWSL Championship match after she assisted the game-winning goal in the semifinals. Lavelle and scored OL Reign’s only goal in the final the final. However, the club fell 2-1 to eventual champions and her new club Gotham FC.    

Since her first appearance in 2017, Lavelle has been a consistent presence on the USWNT, registering 92 caps and notching 24 goals. In 2019, she emerged as a new star for her breakout performance in the 2019 FIFA World Cup, where she scored a memorable game-clinching goal to win the World Cup title. For her stellar performance, she earned the Bronze Ball as the third-best player in the tournament and was named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI.   

“Rose is an amazing talent, and we are very excited to have her as a part of the club,” said Head Coach Juan Carlos Amorós. “She is a very exciting player to watch because of her creative and technical abilities. Rose brings so much to every team she is on, and I am very excited to work with her this season.”  

The former first overall pick in the 2017 NWSL Draft will be entering her eighth season in the NWSL in 2024. She has previously played for the Washington Spirit (2018-20) and Boston Breakers (2017). For the 2019-20 season, she played overseas with Manchester City, where she helped the club win the FA Cup. Before turning pro, the Cincinnati, Ohio native played collegiately at University of Wisconsin, where she was an All-American.   

On Emily Sonnett… 

Two-time NWSL Champion Emily Sonnett joins Gotham FC after playing a season for OL Reign, in which she played and started in 19 matches, recorded 1,677 minutes, and finished with an 80% successful pass rate.  

In just one season with OL Reign, she led the team to the 2023 NWSL Championship, as she played every minute of every playoff match.   

“I am very excited to work with Emily Sonnett next season, as we continue to build off our success from last season,” said Head Coach Juan Carlos Amorós. “She is a very strong player, who plays the game with great passion. We are very excited to have a player and leader like her at the club.” 

Before playing for OL Reign, Sonnett was with the Washington Spirit from 2021-22. She won the 2021 NWSL Championship with the Spirit, alongside now Gotham FC teammate Kelley O’Hara. The Marrietta, GA native began her NWSL career with the Portland Thorns, where she was selected as the first overall pick in the 2016 NWSL Draft. With the Thorns, she appeared in two NWSL Championships in 2017 and 2018, only winning the championship in 2017. Prior to her professional career, Sonnett played collegiately at the University Virginia, where she was received All-American honors.   

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