Gotham FC Signs Jaedyn Shaw: A Historic Signing for the NWSL
Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amoros praised Jaedyn Shaw, the team’s new acquisition, calling her a “special player.” This signing comes after the club made a record payment in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) to secure the services of the American international.The Gotham FC finalized the acquisition of Shaw earlier this week, coming from the North Carolina Courage, for a sum of $1.25 million, far surpassing the previous transfer record within the league. Ally Sentnor’s transfer to Kansas City Current in August, from Utah Royals FC, for $600,000, had set the previous record in the NWSL. The $1.25 million payment for Shaw is the sixth known transfer of a player worldwide to exceed one million dollars. Shaw, who joined North Carolina in January from San Diego Wave FC, expressed that she doesn’t focus on record numbers, but is grateful for the support of her new club.“She’s an extremely talented player who can do things that probably no one else can,” Amoros stated. “The possibility arose and it was obvious for us to make sure she could join the fantastic group of players we have.”
Juan Carlos Amoros, Gotham FC Coach
Both Shaw and Amoros agreed that the opportunity for this agreement arose quickly and unexpectedly. Amoros added that Gotham had been following Shaw for a long time. Shaw could debut for Gotham on Friday against the Wave in San Diego, where she began her professional career at age 17. Her move to North Carolina in the preseason was one of the most important transactions of the last NWSL offseason, but she struggled to find a specific role with the Courage and was not always a starter. In August, the Courage fired coach Sean Nahas, who had been a big supporter of her acquisition. “I’ve grown a lot in the last few months, being at Courage,” Shaw said. “I feel like I’ve matured a lot. I’ve had to experience things that I hadn’t necessarily experienced in my career and have to deal with those things.” “Just keep growing and improving in the field every day, and learning to just love the training, whether I get playing time or not, just being in the moment, present in the training, and not letting what happens on the weekend affect me and what I bring the next day.” Shaw, now 20 years old, has eight goals in 26 appearances in his career with the United States national team. He commented that being part of the rosters of major tournaments is part of his long-term goal. He missed the recent call-ups to the senior United States national team while struggling to find a defined role with the Courage. Amoros noted that, while some might have expected more from Shaw in North Carolina, he saw the same player who caught his attention several years ago. Amoros believes Shaw can thrive in the Gotham environment, where he hopes to use the versatile player as an attacking midfielder. Gotham already has several offensive options, including midfielder and US national team veteran Rose Lavelle. “We are a very offensive team,” Amoros said. “We like to attack, we like to be exciting, we like to be offensive. In the last match, after the break, we were basically playing with six or seven players who, for the rest of the world, are known as forwards. For us, they are soccer players who play roles on the field.” “I think Jaedyn can be a player in those midfield positions, offensive positions that we play, with a fluidity, with an exchange of roles, he is someone who fits very, very well.”“I feel incredibly blessed to have a club that invests in me and sees my potential and my value,” Shaw said. “That’s a place I want to be a part of.”
Jaedyn Shaw, Gotham FC Player
