Bruninha's season ends: ACL and knee injury curse continues to haunt Gotham FC

NJ/NY Gotham FC cannot escape the curse of the ACL. On Tuesday, the club announced that right-back Bruninha suffered an ACL rupture during international duty with Brazil. As a result, she was put on the season-ending injury list, or the SEI list, ending her season as the team chases their first NWSL Shield. She joins Jordynn Dudley, who was given the SEI tag on Monday due to a broken foot.

The timing is not great for Gotham FC, as Midge Purce will likely need to play in the attack, and now Juan Carlos Amorós has fewer options at right-back. Mandy Freeman can slot into the position, as she plays both fullback roles. Jess Carter will likely not be used due to Emily Sonnett's knee injury, in which the player ruptured her patellar tendon in her left knee over the summer.

Bruninha will miss the rest of Gotham FC's 2026 campaign

Sadly, the big story about Bruninha tearing her ACL in October is that there is a high possibility that she will miss the World Cup in the summer of 2027. In fact, Sonnett is also at risk, making this a rough time for the Gotham FC players.

In addition, the Brazilian joins a chorus of knee injuries, especially ACL tears, over the last few years. Purce and Taryn Torres know what this is like all too well, and Tierna Davidson missed the majority of the 2025 season due to her ACL tear. But as one defender returned early this season, another was lost when Kayla Duran tore her ACL.

While knee injuries are common in soccer, the current trend for Gotham continues to raise important questions. Why do so many NJ/NY players injure their knees? Why are ACL tears so common throughout the team? Again, is there something wrong with the training staff's methods? Or is it just bad luck? Or, a little more out there, is it a curse?

Yes, Bruninha did not get hurt with the Bats. But the trend remains a concerning one. And for the Brazilian, who had a high chance of starting in Gotham's final games, this is just a devastating injury.

Nevertheless, the Bats still have a strong squad entering the final matches of the season. The depth has surely been impacted, but perhaps some of those unexpected signings will be more important than fans would have expected. The injuries have happened, and now the rest of Gotham FC must step up to accomplish the goal of winning the NWSL Shield.

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