Tag: Gotham FC

PRO admits ‘egregious officiating error’ in Gotham FC vs. Angel City match

When one mistake is actually three mistakes

The Professional Referees Association (PRO) isn’t mincing words after a major mistake over the weekend.

PRO on Monday released a statement admitting to what it called “an egregious officiating error” in Angel City’s 3-1 win at NJ/NY Gotham FC, a call that deprived Gotham of a clear goal early in a match that was effectively a must-win for them to keep slim playoff hopes alive.

In the 12th minute, Taylor Smith played a ball down the right flank, where both Midge Purce and Ifeoma Onumonu were making runs. Purce got to the pass first, cutting the ball back to Onumonu. Onumonu tried to sweep the ball home first-time, but her shot appeared to take a hefty deflection off of Angel City captain Ali Riley.

Nonetheless, it spun up and over DiDi Haracic, bouncing off the back post and over the goal line. Haracic grabbed it, but that’s where the confusion really kicked in.

Referee Brandon Stevis, after a moment, gave Gotham a corner kick. Which is to say, the call was that there was a deflection off of Riley, and that the ball did cross the endline, but it did not enter the goal.

While Onumonu’s shot did have plenty of spin on it, the amount of movement it would take for the ball to have looped up, gone completely over the endline somewhere above the crossbar, bend back into the field of play, and then hit the post, would seem to require the laws of physics to not actually hold.

Currently, there are no known reports that the laws of physics break down inside Red Bull Arena.

With Onumonu’s shot not doing anything impossible in our reality, that effectively means we have several different errors resulting in the play ending in a corner kick. The first is straightforward: The ball clearly goes over the line, so the call on the field should be a goal.

But, if the referee has decided that there’s no goal, why would play even stop? If it’s not a goal, Haracic is saving a shot that hit the post, so there’s no reason to stop play at all. It’s either a goal, or the game should just continue on.

And then to add onto that conundrum, the ball only ever crosses the endline once…when it enters the goal. It’s never close to going out for a corner. Of all three mistakes, this one’s the furthest from being true. At least you can understand how, on a fast-moving play, a referee or assistant referee aren’t in position to see a shot cross the line. NWSL doesn’t have VAR, this kind of missed call will happen. But…a corner? How?

These are questions PRO appears to have been asking internally, leading to the following statement:

During the National Women’s Soccer League match between NJ/NY Gotham FC and Angel City FC on August 28, an egregious officiating error was made in the 12th minute when a goal was incorrectly not awarded to NJ/NY Gotham FC after the ball had crossed the goal line between the goal posts.

The match officials misjudged where the ball had crossed the goal line, and wrongly awarded a corner kick to NJ/NY Gotham FC.

The officials involved in this error have been removed from their next PRO assignment(s).

While PRO deserves credit for addressing the mistake quickly and clearly, it won’t help a Gotham team that desperately needs to catch a break. Within five minutes of this play, Angel City took the lead, and by the 31st minute, the visitors were up by three and effectively coasting to a win that may have major consequences in the NWSL playoff chase.

[lawrence-related id=6499,2201,1351]

Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger have adopted another child

The Gotham FC couple now have a family of four

Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger have added to their family.

Both players announced via Instagram on Tuesday that they had adopted a baby boy named Ocean. That takes their family up to four, as they adopted their daughter Sloane last year.

Harris and Krieger, both normally starters for Gotham FC, had both announced that what they referred to as a “family matter” would keep them out of the team’s August 7 game against the Chicago Red Stars, and the pair were both listed as out with an excused absence for Gotham’s trip to face OL Reign on August 14.

As it turns out, the unexpected absence was for good news, a relative rarity in the NWSL: The couple were simply adding to their family.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChVO7AepoBI/?igshid=YTgzYjQ4ZTY%3D

“My wife and I are excited to share that we have adopted a baby boy. Our hearts are full during this time and we are so grateful for the love and support our family, friends and club have shown,” Harris wrote on Instagram. “Sloane has been thriving and wakes up every morning saying ‘Baby, baby.’ We are incredibly thankful and excited for this new chapter as we parent 2 under 2. Let the sleepless nights rage on @alikrieger … I wouldn’t want it any other way. Ocean Maeve Krieger-Harris, welcome to the family baby boy. Your Moms and big sister love you very much.”

“Welcome to the world, Ocean Maeve!” wrote Krieger. “We are so thrilled for our growing family and couldn’t be more excited to have two beautiful babies to share life with! Baby Boy, you are so loved and adored already and I’m so proud to be your Mommy.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChVO7GUu1hv/

[lawrence-related id=6028,6023]

Gotham FC names Hue Menzies interim head coach

Menzies will take over for the rest of the 2022 season

Just two days after parting ways with Scott Parkinson, NJ/NY Gotham FC has announced that Hue Menzies will lead the team on an interim basis for the rest of the 2022 NWSL season.

Menzies is the second Black head coach, interim or otherwise, in NWSL history, both of whom were named to their posts on an interim basis in 2022. Seb Hines is in a similar position with the Orlando Pride. He was named the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Coach of the Year after helping Jamaica qualify for the 2019 World Cup, a first for the country.

“Hue is a soccer lifer and a true professional with a track record of success when it comes to building programs and developing players,” said Gotham FC GM Yael Averburch West in a team press release. “I’m confident Hue will help our players reach their potential this season while we continue our coaching search.”

“I want to thank Yael and ownership for giving me the opportunity to work with such gifted athletes,” added Menzies. “This is an incredibly committed team and there’s still time left in the season to turn things around. I’m excited to get to know these players and help aid their progress anyway I can.”

Menzies, who holds a USSF A License, has a wide range of experience outside of the NWSL. He has worked in college soccer as an assistant at the University of Texas, co-founded the Lonestar Soccer Association in Austin, and has for the last decade been the executive director for the Florida Kraze Krush youth program.

Two hours before the announcement, Averbuch West spoke to reporters and said that an interim head coach would be named before Gotham’s match on Sunday against OL Reign, with Menzies announced afterward.

Menzies takes over with Gotham on a miserable run, having lost six of their last seven games. They have the fewest goals scored in NWSL this season, and have lost by multiple goals six times in 12 regular season games.

While the chances of them overcoming that to return to the playoffs are slim—Gotham would need to make up a nine-point gap in 10 games—improved performances are well within reason for a team boasting USWNT regulars Midge Purce and Kristie Mewis, as well as a preseason Golden Boot favorite in Ifeoma Onumonu.

[lawrence-related id=5944,5419,5596]

Now Eli Manning is getting in on Gotham FC ownership too

The NWSL club is bringing on a host of high-profile owners from the sports world

Former NFL star Eli Manning has joined a growing group of big-name investors in NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Manning, along with current New York Giants executive Pete Guelli, were introduced as the NWSL club’s newest minority owners on Wednesday.

“I have lived and worked in this community for almost two decades,” said Manning in a statement. “It’s home to me, and Gotham FC is my family’s favorite soccer club. Combine that with the organization’s strong leadership, talented roster, and sustained growth, and it became clear that joining this great group was a fantastic opportunity.”

Manning came onboard two weeks after WNBA legend Sue Bird joined the club’s ownership group.

NBA star Kevin Durant is also part of Gotham’s ownership group, along with ex-USWNT star Carli Lloyd.

The introduction of celebrity ownership has been a growing trend across the NWSL in recent years. Angel City FC launched this season with high-profile owners including actresses Natalie Portman and Jennifer Garner, and tennis icon Serena Williams. Other investors across the league include Dominique Dawes, Chelsea Clinton, and Jenna Bush Hager (Washington Spirit), and Naomi Osaka (North Carolina Courage).

[lawrence-related id=5831,5807,5781]

Hammond responds after Zerboni uses ‘harmful’ anti-Native American phrase

“Our larger culture continues to perpetuate harmful stereotypes”

Madison Hammond, the NWSL’s only Native American player, spoke out Tuesday night in response to NJ/NY Gotham FC’s McCall Zerboni using an anti-Indigenous metaphor in comments to media following her side’s 4-2 loss to the Houston Dash over the weekend.

Gotham supporters group Cloud 9 referred to Zerboni’s statement as “unacceptable,” and demanded that both Zerboni and Gotham address the matter with both a public apology and internal action.

Hammond then posted a thread on her Twitter account spelling out the harm Zerboni’s words could do, and noting that she had spoken with Zerboni privately.

“This has to be acknowledged and is really important. Not because I want to call out one person but because it’s indicative of how our larger culture continues to perpetuate harmful stereotypes about Native Americans and Indigenous cultures,” said Hammond.

“I’ve spoken with McCall and I know she didn’t intend harm but phrases like ‘too many chiefs’ ‘pow wow’ ‘sitting Indian style’ and many more are rooted in brutal racism and are still way too common in our everyday lexicon,” Hammond added.

Hammond concluded by stating that she hopes this begins “a necessary conversation” about anti-Indigenous phrases being used in the NWSL and elsewhere.

Zerboni offered an apologetic tweet of her own, though it did not specify what actions she was actually apologizing for.

Less than a week before her comments, Zerboni was Gotham’s nominee for the Ally Award, a new NWSLPA award sponsored by Ally Bank.

The Ally Award “recognizes the athlete that embodies the idea of ‘teammate,’ supporting and motivating rookies and veterans alike. The 12 nominees portray the character and leadership that have helped elevate the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) globally,” said Ally in a press release announcing the nominees.

On Wednesday, Gotham made its first public statement about the matter, saying that as an organization, it “will not abide by any language that perpetuates harmful stereotypes.”

“We have addressed the matter internally and will continue to seek opportunities to educate our organization and community about the impact words have on others,” concluded the club statement.

[lawrence-related id=4642,4645,1351]

Sue Bird joins Gotham FC’s investment group

Gotham’s investment group adds one of the biggest names in women’s sports

NJ/NY Gotham FC has added WNBA legend Sue Bird as a new minority investor.

Gotham announced the move Friday, just one day after a Sportico report said the club would bring Bird and former NFL quarterback Eli Manning aboard as investors, and that the transactions placed a $40 million valuation on the club. Manning’s status was not addressed by the team at this time.

“As the NWSL franchise in New York, investing in Gotham FC was an easy decision,” said Bird in a club press release announcing the move. “The club has demonstrated sustained business growth and is established as a critical pillar in the community. There is a lot of talk about the power of investing in women’s sports. As an athlete in a position to invest, I’m excited to now lead by example. I am honored to join such a strong ownership group and look forward to the continued business growth and brand recognition for both Gotham FC and the NWSL.”

Bird, whose longtime partner Megan Rapinoe plays for OL Reign, joins team investors that include ex-USWNT great (and former Gotham player) Carli Lloyd, along with Karen Bryant, Kristin Bernert, Ed Nalbandian, and Thirty Five Ventures, a venture capital firm run by NBA star Kevin Durant and his business manager Rich Kleiman. Gotham’s principle owners remain Tammy Murphy, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy, and Steven Temares.

“Sue has played such a big role in shaping today’s WNBA and bringing it to the forefront in so many important cultural conversations,” said Tammy Murphy, who remains Gotham’s Club Chair. “She’s shown tremendous leadership, passion, and work ethic throughout her legendary career, and I cannot wait for her to bring those qualities to Gotham FC.”

Gotham described Bird’s role within the investor group as that of a “consultant and advisor to boost the club’s profile in local, national, and international markets.”

Bird is the latest big name from outside the soccer world to invest in an NWSL club. After Angel City FC’s initial ownership group included actress Natalie Portman and tennis icon Serena Williams, NWSL has seen big names from a wide range of fields invest in its teams, including Dominique Dawes, Chelsea Clinton, and Jenna Bush Hager (Washington Spirit), Naomi Osaka (North Carolina Courage), and ESPN personality Sarah Spain (Chicago Red Stars).

[lawrence-related id=1610,1128]

NWSL cites covid protocols in Gotham FC vs. NC Courage postponement

With a large number of players unavailable due to Covid-19 protocols, NWSL has announced that NJ/NY Gotham FC’s home opener against the North Carolina Courage has been postponed.

Citing a Covid-19 outbreak, NWSL has postponed Saturday’s scheduled match between NJ/NY Gotham FC and the North Carolina Courage.

Just one day after announcing a new policy regarding Covid-19 replacement players, the league was forced to act due to numerous players ending up unavailable after being placed in Covid-19 protocol by their teams. On Friday night’s pre-game availability report, the Courage listed seven players as out for that reason, while Gotham had four of their own.

In a club statement announcing the postponement, Gotham termed the outbreak as being “within the Courage’s tier one personnel.” Both teams and the league said that an announcement on when the game would be rescheduled would be made in the near future, with no details on that front available at the moment.

The remaining four games on the NWSL’s slate this weekend appear unaffected at this point. The teams playing in Saturday’s other games (Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current and Racing Louisville vs. Houston Dash) reported no players out for Covid-19 protocol reasons, while Washington Spirit head coach Kris Ward told reporters Saturday afternoon that his side had no worries on that front. Washington hosts Angel City FC Sunday evening, while San Diego Wave FC hosts the Chicago Red Stars as well. Sunday’s availability report has not, at this point, been sent to media by the NWSL.

[lawrence-related id=1588,1351,1306]