The NWSL is where Sam Kerr solidified her status as one of the greatest forwards in the history of women’s soccer.
Kerr made her debut in the league’s inaugural season back in 2013 as a teenager, played three seasons with Gotham FC, previously known as Sky Blue, and left the United States in 2019 boasting two MVP titles and holding the record as the league’s top scorer. She then elevated her global career by becoming a standout player for England’s Chelsea and representing Australia on the international stage.
On the first day of a new contract she signed with Gotham, which extends until 2030, the 32-year-old revealed her long-held wish to return to the NWSL. “It was always something I wanted,” she confided Thursday, pointing out that when she decided to exit Chelsea this summer, “The NWSL was the only league where I envisioned myself continuing my career.”
Although it seemed straightforward, Kerr mentioned she was courted by multiple teams within the NWSL. She described the recruitment journey as “really difficult” and indicated it was the smaller, yet important, details that eventually swayed her decision.
“Sam had the option to play for any club worldwide, yet she chose Gotham,” noted Yael Averbuch West, the president of soccer operations.
So why Gotham? Let’s fire off some reasons, like so many shots on goal from the striker who will be eligible to debut in the team’s July 15 match at Citi Field:
— The team’s ambitions. “Gotham is probably the most similar club to Chelsea in their desires and what they want from a season,” Kerr said, describing the 2023 and 2025 NWSL champions and inaugural CONCACAF W Champions Cup winners as “a club that is always aspiring to win something, win the game, win whatever trophy they can.”
— The roster. “It helps that they have some of the best players in the league,” Kerr said. She called star midfielder Rose Lavelle “one of the key players I thought that I would love to play with.” Averbuch West said there have been meetings to discuss how Kerr will fit with incumbent center forward Esther González.
— The coach. Kerr “heard really good things” about Juan Carlos Amorós. “When I spoke to him, he impressed me tactically,” she said. “When you play in a team that creates a lot of goal-scoring opportunities, as a nine [striker], that’s the No. 1 thing that you want.”
— The GM’s pitch. “A lot of credit has to go to Yael because she did a lot of work to get me here,” Kerr said. Averbuch West described nearly six months of “a lot of phone calls with me and her agent.”
— The wife’s reference. Kerr is married to former USWNT midfielder Kristie Mewis, who left Gotham in 2023 after two seasons. “It is important that Kristie played here and knows us and had a really good experience,” Averbuch West said.
— The money, of course. Last month, Gotham added to its cache of allocation money, which can be used on salaries above the NWSL’s hard cap, by trading promising young defender Lilly Reale to expansion Boston. “It’s about making an offer that shows respect to the player and also getting creative about what we do,” Averbuch West said.
— The location. Kerr briefly and accurately referred to the chance to “live in the best city in the world.”