Midge Purce is a team player, making her the current 2026 MVP for Gotham FC

It has been argued often over the last few seasons that NJ/NY Gotham FC needs more players for the backline. Sure, NWSL teams are limited in who they can have on the active roster, which would be a standalone piece that should be saved for another time. However, the Bats have an overabundance of forwards, and arguably do not need four goalkeepers.

So, when Juan Carlos Amorós lost multiple defenders to injury, he was forced to make drastic changes to the backline. One of those positions was the right-back position, as the head coach was without Bruninha and Mandy Freeman. So, as fans know, he put Midge Purce into the right-back spot. And, at this point of the season, she is the 2026 MVP for Gotham FC.

Midge Purce is the early Gotham FC MVP

Now, it is not about looking at the talent. There are multiple players on the roster who easily could be considered the MVP of the side, like Ann-Katrin Berger and Jaedyn Shaw. But Purce has been the ultimate team player, continuing to highlight more reasons why she is a fan favorite.

The winger has played as a full-back here and there, but normally she is the right-winger. She is the type of player who wants to be in the final third and help her team score goals. She can do so by being vital in the lead-up to the offensive moment, assisting the goal, or by scoring the goal herself. Moving to the defense does reduce those moments in the final third.

At the same time, Purce can still get forward for Gotham FC by playing as the right-back. She almost assisted on a goal in the last match against the Houston Dash. However, the goal was called off since it went out of play.

But the forward's defensive work has been very good for the Bats, not including the awful time in Mexico during the CONCACAF W Champions Cup. But in NWSL play, Purce has been a natural. She fits in with the backline and does her job.

What makes her stand out, though, lies in the fact that she is a team player. There is no question that some forwards might have protested being moved to the right-back position. Some might have been upset and would have caused issues. But not Purce. Instead, the Gotham player does what she has to do and still plays well regardless of where she is on the right side of the pitch. Her willingness to help the team in any way elevates her to being the current team MVP.

More importantly, while she is a star both on and off the pitch, Purce does not act as if the team should revolve around her. She is confident, yet humble. She is also a good leader and someone who can help the younger players. Gotham is lucky to have her, and they are lucky that she signed for at least another year during the offseason.

Of course, what the future holds is up in the air, especially with the emergence of rookie Jordynn Dudley. At the very least, fans can focus on the now. Plus, Purce deserves her flowers for her play and for who she is as a person. Therefore, she is Gotham FC's current MVP.

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