Gotham FC trades midfielder Nealy Martin to Angel City FC | OneFootball

On Tuesday, NJ/NY Gotham FC announced that midfielder Nealy Martin had been traded to Angel City FC for $85k in transfer funds, granting Martin's request for the move. The 27-year-old midfielder joined the Bats in December of 2022 after being claimed off waivers from Racing Louisville FC.

She had spent two and a half years with Gotham, playing a pivotal role in winning both the 2023 NWSL Championship and 2025 CONCACAF W Champions Cup, starting every game of the 2023 playoffs and playing in both the semifinals and finals in the 2025 Champions Cup.

The midfielder departs having made 80 appearances in all competitions for the club, registering two assists. She had made 18 appearances, including 12 starts, in all competitions this season. Her last appearance for the club came in the team's 2-0 win on the road over Alianza Women FC in the W Champions Cup group stage. She started and played all 90 minutes.

An ode to Nealy Martin

Of course, Martin's most notable moment in a Gotham FC jersey came in that 2023 Championship when goalkeeper Mandy Haught received a red card in stoppage time, forcing the midfielder to don the goalkeeper jersey and gloves and see out the Bats' championship win.

Meanwhile, the player had seen a significant dip in playing time since the league returned from its summer break. Martin went from being a key starter in the first half of the season to starting just twice when the NWSL resumed, both times as a part of the "second team" in the Champions Cup. This drop in playing time may have been a factor in her decision to leave, but as difficult as it is to say, this looks like the best way forward for both the player and the club.

From making Racing Louisville via an open tryout before 2021, to being picked up on waivers by Gotham less than two years later, things didn't come easy for Martin in her NWSL career. Of course, everyone will remember the goalkeeper moment in the 2023 Championship, but she will be remembered as a favorite who gave her all for the club every time she stepped on the field. A consummate professional who quietly and quickly went from squad player to starter to winner. Martin's story, perhaps more than anyone else's, most closely resembles Gotham's story as a club in recent years.

All of that hard work paid off, not just in the two titles won as a member of the Bats, but she also received a call-up to the USWNT January camp earlier this year, marking the first time she had been called up to the US National Team at any level.

“More than anything I want to thank the Gotham community for taking a chance and believing in me during my time here,” Martin said. “I gave my heart and soul to this club, and a piece of me will always remain in NJ/NY. It would’ve taken something very special for me to consider leaving this place, and I have found that in Angel City. As I leave excited for this new chapter with LA, my heart is so full of gratitude for every moment here.”

This trade also means just five players from the 2023 Championship team: Bruninha, Esther González, Mandy Freeman, and Midge Purce remain on the current Gotham FC roster, with Katie Stengel returning this summer. While it is understandable why this move occurred, it is always sad when a member of that team leaves, especially given the botched celebrations that followed. Thanks for everything, Nealy, and good luck in Los Angeles!