THE WPSL ANNOUNCES NWSL RESERVE TEAM AS LATEST EXPANSION TEAM FOR 2021

NEW YORK – The Women’s Premier Soccer League formally announces its last team of the 2021 expansion-team class by welcoming NJ/NY Gotham Reserves to the league for the upcoming season. The team is a joint partnership between Downtown United Soccer Club (DUSC) and NJ/NY Gotham FC – formerly Sky Blue FC, of the National Women’s Soccer League and will serve as the official reserves team of NJ/NY Gotham FC.

“We are very excited to officially announce that we will have another NWSL reserve team joining the WPSL,” Sean Jones, WPSL president, said. “Downtown United’s partnership with NJ/NY Gotham FC of the NWSL will further cement the relationship between the WPSL and the NWSL by having another strong WPSL club affiliated with a top NWSL organization.  Their commitment to the women’s game will further continue the WPSL’s vision to provide a platform for young women to play at the highest level and follow their dreams of playing professional soccer.”

DUSC is the most comprehensive youth soccer club in NYC, serving approximately 5,000 participants annually. Founded in 1982, DUSC offers a Soccer For All approach to programming for ages 3-23 through its recreation leagues, camps, classes, and its Travel Academy program. The girls program at DUSC is committed to elevating girls and women’s leadership, along with diversity in NYC, and is proud to be one of the few programs that have women in leadership roles across the board.

“Having the opportunity to extend our reach within the women’s game and develop a pipeline of talent towards the pro team is an important step for us as a club,” Alyse LaHue, NJ/NY Gotham FC general manager, said. “Collaborating with DUSC on this endeavor extends our reach and resources to be able to provide the best experience possible to players within the club. This project also provides us further extension into New York City, where we’ve had a tremendous fan base and support over the years.”

The NJ/NY Gotham Reserves coaching staff will be composed of both representatives of NJ/NY Gotham FC and DUSC respectively. Becki Tweed, current NJ/NY Gotham FC Assistant Coach, and Eleri Earnshaw, DUSC Girls Academy Coach, will serve as Co-Head Coaches of the Reserves squad.

“We’re excited to be working with NJ/NY Gotham FC in this venture as it’s a huge step for our girls and women’s program at DUSC,” Leanne Campbell, DUSC technical director of NJ/NY Gotham Reserves, said. “A WPSL team shows how dedicated DUSC is to growing the women’s game in NYC and offering our youth players a clear pathway towards the professional game – something that’s been missing for a long time in the greater NYC area.”

For their inaugural season, NJ/NY Gotham FC Reserves will compete in the South Division of the Metropolitan Conference. This division features teams from the Greater New York and New Jersey areas along with five additional WPSL expansion teams.

The season will kick off in the latter part of May and run through mid-July. All Gotham Reserves home games will be played at Randall’s Island in NYC. Fans will be able to attend three limited capacity home games in early summer. Tickets to be announced as the season nears.                                           

More information about NJ/NY Gotham FC Reserves can be found at their website www.dusc.net/gothamreserves as well as on their social media platforms @gothamreserves.