Midge Purce suffers season-ending injury

Gotham FC forward Midge Purce will undergo surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the club's season-opening match against the Portland Thorns at Providence Park on Sunday, March 24.

According to a brief statement issued by the club, Purce will be out for the rest of the 2024 season.

Purce left that game in the 45th minute after chasing down a ball that led her to the sideline. She can be seen taking a few awkward steps, then sitting down and saying "I'm out" to the Gotham staff who were on the bench close by.

Gotham went on to win that game by the score of 0-1.

Purce is one of the brightest stars on a team that is something like the gálacticos of the NWSL. The 28-year-old attacker joined Gotham in 2020, and was one of the key players in the team's run to the title last year.

As Oliver Strand wrote in these pages last November, "Purce put on a creative masterclass" in providing an assist to Esther. "Gotham’s first goal was conjured out of nothing. Purce received the ball at the edge of the attacking third, then slalomed through the Reign defense before picking out Williams inside the penalty box."

"The overhead shot above shows you the geography of the play, but to fully appreciate Purce’s skills you need to watch the field-level view below."

Purce posted this statement on X earlier today:

Here is the full statement from Gotham: