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NJ/NY Gotham FC is preparing for the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, which will begin this upcoming weekend. At the same time, seven players will be away with their national teams for the Paris Olympics. This means the NWSL is paused until late August. Thankfully, the Bats won 2-1 in the last NWSL match against Angel City FC.
As always, that means there is news to cover. Here is the latest Gotham FC news roundup that includes the USWNT and more.
Gotham FC news roundup: NWSL's Best XI and the USWNT
The NWSL's Best XI for June
Two Gotham FC players were named to the NWSL's Best XI for the month of June: Rose Lavelle and Jenna Nighswonger. During that time, the NJ/NY side went 3-1-1.
In June, Lavelle scored three goals in five matches, acting as one of the best attacking midfielders in the league. Nighswonger impressed on the defensive end, earning her second Best XI of the season. She also had an assist, showing her attacking abilities. The two of them truly deserved the honors, for they were superb for most of the month.
Lynn Williams is on the 18-women roster for the USWNT
Six Gotham FC players will be with the USWNT for the Olympics. Originally, Lynn Williams was named as an alternate for the summer games.
Unfortunately, Catarina Macario had to pull out due to a knee injury. The player missed a lot of time due to an ACL injury, so it would not be shocking if the current injury was related to that. Since she cannot go to the Olympics, Williams was elevated to the 18-women roster. She will be available for selection.
Interestingly, this is the second Olympics in a row where the forward was originally an alternate but made the 18-women roster. Hopefully, she will stay injury free and see some minutes in Paris.
The USWNT played at Gotham's home stadium
On Saturday, Gotham FC's home stadium, Red Bull Arena, hosted the USWNT for the first send-off game before the Olympics. The national team celebrated the 1999 World Cup team and played Mexico. They won 1-0, dominating the match while struggling to score.
Meanwhile, Tierna Davidson, Lavelle, and Nighswonger started the friendly. Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett, and Williams came on as substitutes. Therefore, all six Gotham players played in front of their home crowd. It would not be surprising if Emma Hayes did that on purpose. At the same time, there is a reason the six are a part of the USWNT Olympic squad.
It will be exciting to watch the Gotham FC ladies with the USWNT. They will be missed for the Summer Cup, but the Bats have plenty of talent that allows them to compete in the new tournament.