Gotham FC news roundup: Tierna Davidson is the captain and more

  • Here is the next Gotham FC news roundup
Gotham FC
Gotham FC | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Finally, after a long offseason full of drastic change and questions, NJ/NY Gotham FC began the 2025 NWSL season. The Bats played Seattle Reign FC on Saturday to open the campaign, ending the match in a 1-1 draw.

Meanwhile, there has been plenty of news released about the club. As such, here is the latest Gotham FC news roundup.

Gotham FC news roundup: MSG, Tierna Davidson, and more

Gotham FC is back on MSG

Fans can once again celebrate: non-national matches for Gotham FC will be back on local TV via MSG Networks. While these games can and will be seen on NWSL+, supporters will be able to watch the Bats on one of the MSG channels. Of course, the free NWSL+ will be utilized by those who do not have MSG.

Eight fixtures can be seen across the network in 2025. This includes the home San Diego Wave FC match on May 16 and the home finale against Racing Louisville FC on October 19.

Gotham FC announced the leadership group

After multiple departures before the 2025 season, some Gotham FC players are stepping up after only being with the club for a short time.

Last Tuesday, the club announced the leadership group for the year. Tierna Davidson is the first captain and will wear the armband as long as she is on the pitch. She quickly proved her leadership abilities in 2024, so it was not shocking that she was named the captain. She was part of the 2024 leadership group as well and is the only one returning this year.

Then, four other players round out the leadership group. Jess Carter and Rose Lavelle are the newer players who are a part of the group since they joined Gotham in 2024, while Mandy Freeman and Nealy Martin are the longer-tenured players who round out the leadership team. However, Martin has been with the team only since 2023. Freeman makes a lot of sense since she is officially the longest-tenured player, for she has been with the club since 2017.

Jéssica Silva revealed why she is unavailable for Gotham

Many were surprised that Jéssica Silva was listed as unavailable for Gotham FC. The reason listed was that she had an eye injury.

Well, before the first match, the Portuguese international revealed the severity of her injury. Sadly, a freak accident during training was the cause. On Instagram, the forward revealed she was hit and could not see out of her right eye.

Using Google Translate, Silva said, "I went to the hospital, saw an ophthalmologist and then a retina specialist, who confirmed a hemorrhage in the eye. The retina is affected, but fortunately it has not detached. This is a good sign, but there is still a risk of it taking off, so I will have to be monitored regularly. Recovery may take some time, because, deep down, the retina looks as if it has been injured."

At the time of the post, she still could not see out of the right eye, and implied the recovery time is unknown.

Everyone at Skyscraper Blues wishes Silva the best with her recovery.