How can Gotham FC replace Tierna Davidson in 2025? | OneFootball

On Wednesday, April 2, NJ/NY Gotham FC confirmed that defender and club captain Tierna Davidson tore her left ACL during the match at the Houston Dash on the previous Friday. The club subsequently placed her on the season-ending injury (SEI) list. This is the second year in a row that Gotham has lost a key player to an early season ACL tear after Midge Purce's injury in the 2024 season opener.

Thankfully, the Bats were compensated for the loss thanks to some great season-long performances from the likes of Yazmeen Ryan and Ella Stevens. Plus, Gotham had the team's best regular season in club history. This then raises the question of how they will do the same for Davidson. Will she be replaced by an expected player or will fans see somebody step up and make the role their own?

Who replaces Gotham FC's Tierna Davidson?

Jess Carter or Mandy Freeman

While Jess Carter has spent the majority of her time at Gotham FC playing as a full-back, she does have a lot of experience playing centrally with both Chelsea F.C. Women and England. The same can be said for Mandy Freeman who, before last season, played almost exclusively as a center-back since she joined the club in 2017. While both of these players are probably the easiest choices in a vacuum given their experience playing as a central defender it might not be the preferred direction of head coach Juan Carlos Amorós.

Since the back end of 2024, Carter and Freeman have been Gotham's preferred starting full-backs. Moving either of them centrally would reshuffle at least half of the backline. Typically a team's starting defensive line is a positional group coaches want consistency in. And while both of these players are more than suitable replacements, losing Davidson has already caused enough of a disruption to the back four. Amorós' preference might be going with a one-for-one swap rather than moving around multiple pieces.

Lilly Reale

Lilly Reale was arguably the most pro-ready of the class of five college free agents signed by the club this offseason. And despite a rough start to life that saw her score an own goal less than two minutes into her first start, she has since put in two stellar performances from that point on, albeit as a left-back.

What makes Reale arguably the best option for Gotham FC is not just the fact that adding her would add minimal disruption to the backline, but like Davidson, Reale is left-footed. This allows for more of a seamless transition and less of a change in how the team plays when building out of the back. It would be a big ask for the rookie to step into such a role so soon, but if the early signs are anything to go by, Reale is more than capable.

Someone from the Gotham midfield

Amorós has made some curious positional decisions in the past that have ultimately ended up working out very well. Whether it be Jenna Nighswonger at left-back or Maitane López as a center-back, both players ended up playing key roles in different positions. And doing something similar could be how Amorós plays out this situation as well.

Both Nealy Martin and Taryn Torres are midfielders who have played a decent amount of minutes as defenders, although Torres' time in the backline has mainly been as a full-back rather than in the middle. How Gotham would cope with Martin's loss in midfield would be a mystery, and while this would be an unlikely solution, this is a scenario that cannot be 100% ruled out.

A mid-season signing

The transfer window does not open again until July 1. This would be a long time to have a starting center-back spot not be locked down. Gotham FC could use it as an opportunity to add depth to the position. The club currently has two open roster spots with Davidson's SEI designation. They will have a third open as well as an international roster spot as Jéssica Silva's contract runs out on June 30. The forward is currently out with an eye injury and could ultimately see her contract not renewed especially if the Bats still need defensive help.

And while the league is on pause from June 23 to August 1, the help Gotham would be looking for might not be immediately available. The main reasons for the long pause are two international tournaments. The two tournaments, the Euros which runs from July 2-27, and the Copa América from July 12-August 2, are most likely going to involve the player that the club will be looking to bring in for the rest of the season.

So for Gotham FC's sake, the team cannot rely upon the transfer market for a quick fix and will most likely have to look in-house for a solution.