In true Michael Jordan fashion (she wears jersey No. 23, after all), 2023 NWSL Championship MVP Midge Purce put to rest the worries of Gotham FC fans of another big-name player leaving their club this offseason. In a statement Wednesday morning, the club announced:
"The following statement was released Wednesday by Midge Purce in response to questions about her future with Gotham FC:
'I’m back.'"
After much speculation on a potential exit after a 2024 campaign spent on the sidelines due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, the Goths secured Purce's signature for a new one-year deal. The free agent will now enter her fifth year with the club this upcoming campaign.
“I’m excited to continue my journey with Gotham FC...I can’t wait to get back on the pitch to play with this team and for our incredible fans,” Purce said in the club statement.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Another One
Purce has attained much success with Gotham over the past five seasons. Along with a 2023 NWSL Championship to her name, in which she provided a second-ever two assists performance in the final match, she has amassed a total of 22 combined goals and assists in 46 NWSL appearances with the club.
Her time with Gotham also includes multiple stints with the USWNT, as Purce has both the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Championship and the 2024 W Gold Cup under her belt, including an impressive 30 caps.
Cameron Albert
Something to Prove
Purce rejoins Gotham with a point to prove going into the 2025 season. The USWNT forward missed out on the Olympics where she saw her team win gold for an astounding fifth time, but from home.
Purce made a tough decision to sit out all of the 2024 campaign following her injury and is showing indications of wanting to come back a better player than before.
As stated by Purce on the reality show The Offseason, other teams offered her deals in 2024 that were allegedly more lucrative than what she made with Gotham. Instead, Purce makes a commitment to stay for at least one more season.
"Midge brings a number of great qualities to our team, and her dynamism and experience are great additions to our talented attacking group...We are very excited to welcome her back into the mix," Gotham general manager Yael Averbuch West said in the club statement.
She now will come back into a squad that has lost key players in the attacking unit, but gained new talent as well. With the exits of Lynn Williams and Crystal Dunn, Gotham added Brazilian international Gabi Portilho (who plays in the same positions as Purce up top), along with the retentions of Esther, Ella Stevens, Rose Lavelle, and Jéssica Silva.
This talented combination of players, while tantalizing for fans of the Bats, can also provide certain pressures for a player of Purce's ability coming back from an injury as serious as an ACL tear. She might have to not only match but surpass the goal and assist totals she produced in her last full season before injury, and also outperform the other forwards, with Juan Carlos Amorós usually preferring to deploy three players in his attack.
The upcoming campaign presents challenges for the 29-year old, but nonetheless, Gotham fans will be excited to not only keep a core member of the 2023 Championship-winning team, but also witness how the champion will try to exceed expectations once again.
