
Yazmeen Ryan works best when her back is against the wall. For the 24-year-old midfielder, the move to NJ/NY Gotham FC is the perfect next step in her professional career. After finishing at the bottom of the National Women’s Soccer League table in 2022, Gotham are truly this season’s underdogs, and Ryan welcomes the challenge.
“Gotham is in a rebuilding phase. It’s just different coming from a team that was at the top and now going to a team that was not at the top,” she told The Equalizer. “I feel like personally, my back is against the wall, because we can only go up from here. I know Gotham is trying to rebuild and make sure that it becomes one of those number one clubs in the league consistently. I feel like I perform my best when I can just see the vision forward and there’s a big expectation.”
After winning an NWSL Championship with the Portland Thorns last year, an epic three-team trade sent Ryan to Gotham FC. For Ryan, the trade was a clear indication of just how invested Gotham was in bringing her to the team.
“I had no idea the lengths they took, and all the things that were involved to get me here,” she said. “Finding that out, I was a little surprised and so grateful at the same time that this club believed in me this much and really wanted to bring me on. It builds my confidence even more.”
