100-610: NJ/NY Gotham Football Club is an American professional women's soccer team based in the New York metropolitan area that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Founded in 2006 as Jersey Sky Blue , the team was known as Sky Blue FC from 2008 until 2020. A founding member of the NWSL in 2013, Sky Blue FC also played in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) from 2009 to 2011. Following
200-808: A Paralympic event. The CONCACAF W Championship is a women's football competition organized by CONCACAF that often serves as the qualifying competition to the Women's World Cup and the Olympics. The CONCACAF W Gold Cup had its inaugural edition in 2024 . It featured 12 national teams (8 from the CONCACAF region, and 4 invited from the CONMEBOL region) and was won by the United States . European women's tournaments featuring national teams were held in Italy in 1969 and in 1979 as
300-785: A nickname for New York City . Carli Lloyd announced her retirement from professional soccer on August 16, 2021, indicating the current NJ/NY Gotham season would be her last season. In September 2021, former Sky Blue player Nadia Nadim accused management of forging her signature on a contract extension so they could trade her to the Portland Thorns in early 2016. Lloyd joined the ownership group on April 27, 2022. On May 4, 2022, NBA player Kevin Durant and investor Rich Kleiman announced their minority investment into Gotham FC via their investment company Thirty Five Ventures. On July 29, 2022, WNBA player Sue Bird joined Gotham FC's ownership group as
400-472: A 2–0 decision to Los Angeles Sol at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater Township , New Jersey . It played its next game at the venue before moving permanently to Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers University . The team stuttered to one win and two draws in their first six games, scoring only 3 goals in the process, before head coach and general manager Ian Sawyers was suspended indefinitely by
500-568: A 3–0 win over the Atlanta Beat, its then-largest margin of victory. The club went 1–2 in its next three games before entering the final four matches of the regular season. After suffering defeats in each of those games, Sky Blue FC came up just short of the playoffs after finishing even with the Boston Breakers for the final postseason spot (Boston took the season tiebreaker). After the WPS announced
600-571: A 53,000 strong crowd), women's football in England was halted in December 1921 when The Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches, the FA stating that "the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged." Players and football writers have argued that this ban was due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted, and because
700-459: A 5–1 win over the Boston Breakers at Yurcak Field . In so doing, Sky Blue became the first team to score five goals in a single match in the nascent National Women's Soccer League. The team's form later slumped in the second half of the regular season, though Sky Blue ultimately finished in 4th place, earning a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Sky Blue were later eliminated in
800-467: A ban from 1921 to 1970 in England that disallowed women's football on the grounds used by its member clubs. In many other nations, female footballers faced similarly hostile treatment and bans by male-dominated organisations. In the 1970s, international women's football tournaments were extremely popular, and the oldest surviving continental championship was founded, the AFC Women's Asian Cup . However,
900-486: A blue star above the shield was to represent the club's victory in the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer championship . Following the club's rebrand from Sky Blue FC to NJ/NY Gotham FC, a new crest and color scheme was announced. The club's new crest, a shield adorned by the crown of the Statue of Liberty , was designed by Matthew Wolff , who had previously designed for several MLS clubs as well as other professional clubs around
1000-479: A breakout season in 2017, she broke the single season goal scoring record by scoring 17 goals and won the golden boot. Kerr was also awarded the 2017 NWSL MVP award. Denise Reddy was appointed as the new head coach on November 15, 2017. Sky Blue began the off-season by trading several of their key players. They dealt Taylor Lytle and USWNT defender Kelley O'Hara to the Utah Royals on December 29, 2017. Then at
1100-585: A crowd of 22,000. The tournament ran for a second year in season 1918–19, the winners being the ladies of Palmer's shipyard in Jarrow , who defeated Christopher Brown's of Hartlepool 1–0 at St James' Park in Newcastle on 22 March 1919. At the time of the First World War , female employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for men fifty years earlier. A team from England played
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#17330847285671200-413: A minority owner, consultant, and advisor. On August 10, 2022, Gotham FC announced the addition of former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Giants chief commercial officer Pete Guelli to its ownership group as minority owners. The investments raised the club's valuation to an estimated $ 40 million. On August 11, 2022, Gotham FC fired head coach Scott Parkinson following a 4–8–0 start to
1300-518: A number of European women's leagues. However, the popularity and participation in women's football continues to grow. In 2022, FC Barcelona had the two largest reported attendances for women's football since the 1971 Women's World Cup final between Mexico and Denmark (110,000) at the Azteca Stadium , when they played Real Madrid (91,553) and Wolfsburg (91,648) at Camp Nou for the 2021–22 UEFA Women's Champions League . In April 2024,
1400-561: A penalty shootout in the semifinals). Sky Blue FC kicked off the WPS regular season on April 10, 2011, at Yurcak Field, playing the Philadelphia Independence to a 2–2 draw. The team then hit the road for three games, suffering three consecutive defeats, before returning home for a pair of wins. After two more draws and another victory, Sky Blue FC found itself amid the longest unbeaten streak in franchise history (five matches). The team kicked off that streak on May 21, 2011, with
1500-482: A record of 1–17–6. They broke the NWSL record for the longest winless streak (23 games) as they didn't earn a victory until the final game of the season. During this time, the club was plagued with reports of poor off-field conditions. The training facilities lacked running water, working toilets, and showers, leading players to take post-game ice baths in garbage cans. The team reneged on its promise to provide housing for some players, and those who were accommodated found
1600-726: A retroactive recognition decided in 2003 . The first FIFA Women's World Cup was held in China in November 1991 and won by the United States . The runners-up, Norway , became the 1995 champions, beating Germany in that final, in Sweden. The United States won the 1999 final on penalties against China (with a competition-record crowd of over 90,000 in Pasadena ). Germany won consecutive world titles in 2003 and 2007, winning finals against Sweden and Brazil respectively. Japan became champions in 2011 ,
1700-485: A team from Ireland on Boxing Day 1917 in front of a crowd of 20,000 spectators. The Irish side of this match was dramatised in the play Rough Girls in 2021. Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England played in one of the first women's international matches against a French XI team in 1920, and also made up most of the England team against a Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0. Despite being more popular than some men's football events (one match saw
1800-488: A visual representation of the "/" in NJ/NY, as it flows between New Jersey and New York. Following the rebrand, the official colors of Gotham FC are "Sky Blue", "Gotham Black", and "Cloud White", representing the club's original name, its current name, and the name of the supporters group. Cloud 9 is the official supporters group of Gotham FC. They stand in the supporters' section for home games (Section 101 of Red Bull Arena, behind
1900-554: A woman did not speak at the FIFA Congress until 1986 ( Ellen Wille ). The FIFA Women's World Cup was first held in China in 1991 and has since become a major television event in many countries. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. Evidence shows that a similar game ( cuju , also known as tsu chu ) was played by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of
2000-452: A women's match in 1892. The British Ladies' Football Club was founded by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. Honeyball and those like her paved the way for women's football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British football associations, and continued without their support. It has been suggested that this was motivated by a perceived threat to the "masculinity" of
2100-484: Is a competition for women's national football teams governed by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). India won the first 5 editions, beating Nepal four times and Bangladesh once in the final. Bangladesh is the current champion having defeated Nepal by 3–1 goals on 19 September 2022 in the final. The OFC Women's Nations Cup is a women's football tournament for national teams who belong to
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#17330847285672200-484: Is an international women's football competition held every two years and sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It was first contested in 1991, but was not held biennially until 1998. Nigeria is the most successful nation in the tournament's history with 11 titles. The CAF Women's Champions League is an international competition that involves the top women's club teams from countries affiliated with
2300-613: Is the team sport of association football played by women . It is played at the professional level in multiple countries , and 187 national teams participate internationally . The same rules, known as the Laws of the Game , are used for both women's and men's football. After the "first golden age" of women's football occurred in the United Kingdom in the 1920s, with one match attracting over 50,000 spectators, The Football Association instituted
2400-475: The 1966 World Cup . The ban in England was maintained by the FA for nearly fifty years, until January 1970. The next year, UEFA recommended that the national associations in each country should manage the women's game. In 2002, Lily Parr of Dick Kerr's Ladies was the first woman to be inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame. She was later honoured with a statue in front of
2500-530: The 1971 Women's World Cup , was hosted by Mexico the following year. The final, also won by Denmark, was played at Estadio Azteca , the largest stadium in North America at the time, in front of crowds estimated at 110,000 or 112,500 attendees. During the 1970s, Italy became the first country to have professional women's football players on a part-time basis. Italy was also the first country to import foreign footballers from other European countries, which raised
2600-584: The 2008 WPS General Draft took place. Sky Blue FC drafted Cori Alexander , Keeley Dowling , Kacey White , and Jenny Hammond. Ian Sawyers closed out 2008 by choosing Kelly Lindsey to be his assistant coach on December 3. The new year brought new players. On January 16, the 2009 WPS Draft was held. Sky Blue FC drafted Yael Averbuch , Meghan Schnur , Karen Bardsley , Christie Shaner , Julianne Sitch , Jen Buczkowski , Zhang Ouying , Mary Therese McDonnell , Mele French , and Fanta Cooper. Sky Blue FC kicked off its inaugural season on April 5, 2009, dropping
2700-611: The 2018 NWSL College Draft they traded Nikki Stanton and 2017 NWSL MVP Sam Kerr to the Chicago Red Stars . Sky Blue received forward Katie Johnson and defender Rebekah Stott from the Seattle Reign in exchange for the rights to forward Caitlin Foord . They also added two-time FIFA Player of the year Carli Lloyd in the trade for Sam Kerr . The results of the field were not good for Sky Blue as they finished in last place with
2800-564: The 2023–24 A-League Women season set the record for the most attended season of any women's sport in Australian history, with the season recording a total attendance of 284,551 on 15 April 2024, and finishing with a final total attendance of 312,199. The first known World Cup tournaments for women's teams are the 1970 Women's World Cup in Italy and the 1971 Women's World Cup in Mexico, both of which hold attendance records and were organised by
2900-588: The English Ladies' Football Association was formed, with 58 affiliated clubs. A silver cup was donated by the first president of the association, Len Bridgett. A total of 23 teams entered the first competition in the spring of 1922. The winners were Stoke Ladies who beat Doncaster and Bentley Ladies 3–1 on 24 June 1922. In 1937, the Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. , who had lost to Scotland's Rutherglen Ladies in 1923 but continued to be proclaimed as "world champions", played
3000-462: The National Women's Soccer League , began play in spring 2013. For the 2013 season, Sky Blue were allocated seven players from North American federations, including Kelley O'Hara , Jillian Loyden , Christie Rampone , and Sophie Schmidt . On May 19, the club recorded their third consecutive victory and their fifth overall, marking the club's best-ever start to a season. On June 1, 2013, the team extended their run of consecutive victories to five with
3100-668: The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). The competition has served as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women's World Cup since 1991. After the lifting of the FA ban, the Women's Football Association held its first national knockout tournament , the 1970–71 WFA Cup . Southampton Women's F.C. was the inaugural winner and became the Cup-winner eight times. From 1983 to 1994, Doncaster Belles reached ten out of eleven finals, winning six of them. As of 2023, Chelsea are
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3200-508: The UEFA Women's Championship was then dominated by Germany , who won eight titles, including six in a row from 1995 to 2013. The only other teams to win, as of 2022, are Norway in 1993 , the Netherlands at home in 2017 , and England at home in 2022 . The UEFA Women's Champions League is an international competition that involves the top women's club teams from countries affiliated with
3300-616: The White House , where President Barack Obama hailed their success in the inaugural WPS season. With two additional teams, Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence , joining the league for 2010, Sky Blue FC were destined to lose players from their championship-winning side. On September 15, the 2009 WPS Expansion Draft was held with Jen Buczkowski moving to Philadelphia and Noelle Keselica headed to Atlanta. Sky Blue FC announced on September 29, 2009, that former Finnish National Team player Pauliina Miettinen would be head coach of
3400-555: The Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), was launched in 2009 and folded in late 2011. The following year, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was launched with initial support from the soccer federations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In 2017, Liga MX Femenil was launched in Mexico and broke several attendance records. The league is composed of women's teams of the men's counterpart teams in Liga MX . On 20 March 2024,
3500-593: The 1982 appearance of the first women's league, Galanita. The Pertiwi Cup , which drew contestants from throughout all of Indonesia, was first played in 2006. The first professional league was held in 2019 under the name Liga 1 Putri . In Australia, the W-League, now known as A-League Women , was formed in 2008. In 2015, the Chinese Women's Super League (CWSL) was launched with an affiliated second division, CWFL. Previously, The Chinese Women's Premier Football League
3600-456: The 2022 season and announced an immediate search for a new coach to be hired for the 2023 season. After finishing the 2022 season in last place, Gotham FC appointed Juan Carlos Amóros as the new head coach. In the NWSL Draft, Gotham FC made several trades to acquire Paige Monaghan and Lynn Williams before drafting Jenna Nighswonger with the 4th pick in the NWSL Draft. Prior to the start of
3700-671: The African governing body CAF . The AFC Women's Asian Cup is a quadrennial competition in women's football for national teams which belong to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It is the oldest women's international football competition and premier women's football competition in the AFC region for national teams. The SAFF Women's Championship , also called the South Asian Football Federation Women's Cup ,
3800-595: The Chicago Red Stars. Sky Blue then suffered a 1–0 defeat to the Washington Spirit in their first home game of the season, before closing out the Fall Series with a 3–1 victory at home over Chicago. These results ultimately saw Sky Blue finish the Fall Series in fourth place, just one point behind the third-placed Washington Spirit. In April 2021, Sky Blue officially changed its name to Gotham FC, "Gotham" being
3900-508: The D1 title to PSG until 2021 when PSG finished ahead of Lyon, and won five Coupe de France finals against Paris. In 2017 both teams reached the Champions League final, with Lyon beating Paris after a penalty shoot-out and winning its fourth title in the competition. While a number of features continue to improve, this is not the case for female coaches. They continue to be under-represented in
4000-644: The Edinburgh City Girls in the "Championship of Great Britain and the World". Dick, Kerr won the competition with a 5–1 scoreline. The 1939 competition was a more organised affair and the Edinburgh City Girls beat Dick, Kerr 5–2 in Edinburgh , following this up with a 7–1 demolition of Glasgow Ladies in Falkirk to take the title. The English Women's FA was formed in 1969 as a result of the increased interest generated by
4100-534: The European Competition for Women's Football . They were not recognized as "official" by UEFA, which opposed women's football until the 1970s. The UEFA championship began in 1984 under the name European Competition For Representative Women's Teams . Now, it is also commonly referred to as the UEFA Women's Euro. The 1984 tournament was won by Sweden . Norway won the 1987 edition. Between 1987 and 2013,
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4200-594: The European governing body UEFA . The Copa América Femenina is the main competition in women's football between national teams that are affiliated with CONMEBOL . The Copa Libertadores Femenina , formally the CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina , is the international club competition for women's teams that play in the CONMEBOL region. The competition started in 2009 in response to the increased interest in women's football. The Women's Africa Cup of Nations
4300-492: The FA had no control over the money made from the women's game. Dick, Kerr Ladies player Alice Barlow said, "we could only put it down to jealousy. We were more popular than the men and our bigger gates were for charity". Despite the ban, some women's teams continued to play. The Northern Rugby Union did not follow the FA ban, so the short-lived English Ladies Football Association (1921–1922) played some of its matches at rugby grounds. In other countries, women's football
4400-624: The Jersey Sky Blue name initially remained in use for a feeder team in the W-League, although it later rebranded as the Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues . Co-founder Thomas Hofstetter, who served as president of Sky Blue FC until 2013, also served as chairman of the feeder team until their folding in 2010. As of 2018, Phil Murphy was a majority shareholder of the team. Sky Blue FC named Ian Sawyers as its first head coach and general manager on March 5, 2008. However, it
4500-616: The L. League – still in existence today as Division 1 of the Nadeshiko League . In 2020, Japan established the first-ever women's professional league in Asia, the WE League , which started on fall 2021. In Indonesia, the first recorded "national" women's football event, known as the "Kartini Cup", took place in 1981. The competition was held on an amateur level. Later competitions were also held in an amateur and semi-professional level, including
4600-546: The New York/New Jersey metropolitan area were also selected to host clubs to participate in the inaugural WPS season. Sky Blue FC was originally founded in 2006 as Jersey Sky Blue, playing in the USL W-League in 2007, a semi-professional league that served as part of the second division of women's soccer in the United States. Future governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy and his wife Tammy Murphy were co-founders of
4700-618: The Olympic women's teams do not have restrictions on professionalism or age. The participation of Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic tournament was a bone of contention because England and other British Home Nations are not eligible to compete as separate entities. Eventually, both the women's and men's Great Britain teams fielded some players from the other home nations, but without their associations' active support. Although there are women's teams of blind football (5-a-side) and cerebral palsy football (7-a-side), women's football has never been
4800-695: The Year . After beginning with a 1–1 draw against Seattle Reign , the 2017 season got off to an uneven start. Sky Blue recorded alternating wins and losses in their next four games. Over the opening 18 matches of the season, Sky Blue recorded only two draws, compared to 7 wins and 9 defeats. Despite these results, Sky Blue were in 3rd place as late as July 15. Ultimately, in 2017, Sky Blue had its most successful season since 2014. They finished in sixth place, but were in playoff contention until mid September. Despite these successes, head coach Christy Holly unexpectedly stepped down as coach on August 16, 2017. Holly's departure
4900-447: The club being described as "falling apart, on the field and off". The 2018 season did include promising rookie seasons from Imani Dorsey and Savannah McCaskill . Dorsey scored 4 goals in 13 games and McCaskill had 3 goals and 3 assists. Both players were voted as finalists for the 2018 NWSL Rookie of the year . Dorsey won the award, becoming the second Sky Blue player to win the award after Raquel Rodríguez won it in 2016. Following
5000-520: The club's culture. The club also took steps to overhaul their roster, bringing in thirteen new players, such as Mallory Pugh , McCall Zerboni , and Margaret Purce , for what was described as a "new-look Sky Blue." These changes led to a belief that the club "was set to make leaps and bounds" and would "compete for playoff spots in due time." The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic halted the new season's momentum before it could even begin, however. On March 12,
5100-428: The club's home jersey was sky blue in 2017 and 2018 , but returned to midnight blue in 2019 . The 2020 season marked yet another change, as the club's home colors became primarily black with sky blue accents. While their home and away strips as Sky Blue FC lacked a consistent visual identity, throughout this era the club's crest remained a blue, white, and orange shield emblazoned with the club's name. The addition of
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#17330847285675200-520: The conclusion of the Challenge Cup, the NWSL announced the continuation of the season with the NWSL Fall Series . Per the rules of the series, Sky Blue were drawn into a three-team regional pod with the Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars. Sky Blue opened the Fall Series with a 2–1 victory over the Washington Spirit at Segra Field on September 5, though this was followed by a heavy 4–1 defeat to
5300-544: The conditions unacceptable. Players had to cover broken windows with cardboard, and some were placed with host families who expected them to babysit. Players also accused the club of also trying to cut travel costs at their expense. Players were forced into early check-outs at hotels, sometimes hours before they had to leave for a game. Between the poor training conditions and ownership they saw as distant, players started referring to Sky Blue as "a semi-pro team". These off-field issues, coupled with Sky Blue's poor results, led to
5400-465: The country's first senior football world championship. The United States won the tournament again in 2015 and 2019 . Spain won the tournament for the first time in 2023 . Since Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament , a Women's Football Tournament has been staged at the Olympic Games . Unlike in the men's Olympic Football tournament (based on teams of mostly under-23 players),
5500-544: The deficit and the club were eliminated in a 3–2 defeat. Despite these results, goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament by the media, being awarded the Golden Glove. The Philadelphia Inquirer also wrote that Sky Blue's performance in the tournament "shows big potential for the future," and that "if general manager Alyse LaHue can keep her team's spine together, Sky Blue will enter 2021 with real potential to end its playoff drought." Following
5600-400: The disappointments of the preceding two seasons, the 2019 season got off to a poor start. Before the season even began, Hailie Mace and Julia Ashley declined to sign for the club despite being drafted, citing the team's mismanagement. Sky Blue then failed to win any of their opening nine matches, drawing two and losing seven. Head coach Denise Reddy was subsequently relieved of her duties. At
5700-452: The favorite for the match, though Sky Blue ultimately advanced after winning 4–3 on penalties. In the semi-final, Sky Blue were pitted against the Chicago Red Stars, who had finished as runners-up in the 2019 NWSL Championship. After conceding three goals in the opening 60 minutes, Sky Blue rallied courtesy of a late goal from Evelyne Viens and an effort by Purce which forced an own goal by Julie Ertz . However, Sky Blue were unable to overcome
5800-589: The final playoff spot for the 2009 playoffs . Sky Blue FC upended both Washington Freedom and Saint Louis Athletica to make the championship game against Los Angeles Sol. A 16th minute Heather O'Reilly strike earned Sky Blue FC the championship on August 22, 2009, beating the Sol on their own home field of The Home Depot Center in Carson , California . Sky Blue's victory was seen as an upset, and later described as "an all-time underdog story." Sky Blue were later invited to
5900-583: The final. Following a 0–0 draw with the OL Reign in their opening game of the tournament and a 1–0 defeat to Utah Royals , Sky Blue recorded a 2–0 win over the Houston Dash , which saw them rise to 2nd in the table. A subsequent 2–0 defeat to the North Carolina Courage saw them slump to 7th, and Sky Blue were pitted against 2nd place Washington Spirit in the quarter-final. The Spirit were perceived as
6000-610: The first at the helm by decorated women's soccer coach Jim Gabarra, who had spent the past decade with the Washington Freedom. Prior to the start of the regular season, Sky Blue FC headed to Turkey for the preseason, playing to the finals of the Alanya International Women's Tournament of Champions, where it fell to team partner LdB FC Malmö, 1–0. Also participating in the tournament were Russian side FK Energiya and Danish club Fortuna Hjørring (who Sky Blue FC defeated in
6100-539: The first professional women's soccer league in the United States, the WUSA , was launched and lasted three years. The league was spearheaded by members of the World Cup-winning American team and featured players like Mia Hamm , Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain , as well as top-tier international players like Germany's Birgit Prinz and China's Sun Wen . A second attempt towards a sustainable professional league,
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#17330847285676200-466: The first round of the playoffs, suffering a 2–0 defeat to the Western New York Flash . The following season, Sky Blue failed to win any of their opening four matches. After defeating the Boston Breakers on May 3, Sky Blue again went on a winless streak until June 25, when they secured a 2–1 victory over the Portland Thorns . The 2014 season ended with a five-game win streak, though this proved insufficient to overcome earlier poor form and Sky Blue finished
6300-436: The first round proper getting more than the women's winners. 2008 WPS General Draft The 2008 WPS General Draft took place on October 6, 2008. It was the first general draft held by Women's Professional Soccer to assign the WPS rights of international and domestic players to the American-based teams. The order was established based on a lottery done at the Board of Governors meeting on September 15, 2008 prior to
6400-536: The first round, Brazil national team members Rosana and Ester in the second and third rounds respectively, finished with Canada national team midfielder Kelly Parker in the fourth round. In addition to these picks, Sky Blue FC also named Australia national team midfielder Collette McCallum and England national team defender Anita Asante as post-draft discovery players on September 26, 2008, and October 2, 2008, respectively, and were awarded their WPS playing rights. To further assign player rights, on October 6
6500-399: The game. In August 1917, a tournament was launched for female munition workers' teams in north-east England. Officially titled the "Tyne Wear & Tees Alfred Wood Munition Girls Cup", it was also known as "The Munitionettes' Cup". The first winners of the trophy were Blyth Spartans , who defeated Bolckow Vaughan 5–0 in a replayed final tie at Middlesbrough on 18 May 1918 in front of
6600-445: The growth of women's soccer in the United States in the 1990s, the first attempt at a fully professional women's league, the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), was founded in 2000. However, after playing just three seasons the WUSA folded in 2003. Almost immediately following the folding of the WUSA, attempts were made to relaunch the league, although each of these initially came to naught. Finally, in December 2006, an agreement
6700-448: The inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup tournament held in 1991 to the 1,194,221 tickets sold for the 1999 Women's World Cup , visibility and support of women's professional football had increased around the globe. However, as in some other sports, women's pay and opportunities are lower in comparison with professional male football players. Both national and international women's football have far less television and media coverage than
6800-419: The international women's association FIEFF . Some other major tournaments were the Women's World Invitational Tournament in Taiwan (1978–1987) and the Women's Mundialito in Japan and Italy (1981–1988). FIFA effectively ignored women's football prior to the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament in China. FIFA's first officially-recognised women's international match is France–Netherlands (1971), albeit
6900-482: The launch of the National Women's Soccer League, the club's home colors changed to midnight blue , while their away colors changed to a white shirt with midnight blue shorts. In 2015 , the club's colors reverted to sky blue and orange, but with sky blue for their home jersey and orange for their away jersey. The following season, the club's home colors returned to midnight blue, while their away colors returned to sky blue. This pattern again emerged in following seasons, as
7000-482: The league in collaboration with the NWSL , announced a new international competition named Summer Cup . This competition will feature six teams from Liga MX Femenil that will compete against teams from the NWSL. The inaugural edition is scheduled to kick-off in July 2024. A 2014 FIFA report stated that at the beginning of the 21st century, women's football was growing in both popularity and participation, and more professional leagues were being launched worldwide. From
7100-510: The men's equivalent, but also generally have far lower average attendances. This discrepancy is on-going, while research indicates some viewers are not even able to distinguish between professional women's and men's football. Olympique Lyonnais main rivalry is with Paris Saint-Germain , with matches between the two teams sometimes referred as the "Classique féminin". Paris is OL's main contender for national titles, as they finished in second place of D1 Féminine seven times. Lyon had never lost
7200-580: The museum. It was not until 2008 (87 years later), that the FA issued an apology for banning women from the game of football. In 1970, the Torino-based Federation of Independent European Female Football (FIEFF) ran the 1970 Women's World Cup in Italy, supported by the Martini & Rossi strong wine manufacturers, and entirely without the involvement of FIFA . This event was at least partly played by clubs and won by Denmark. A second edition,
7300-528: The period playing tsu chu . Annual matches being played in Midlothian , Scotland, are reported as early as the 1790s. In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardized rules to prohibit violence on the pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play. The first match of an international character took place in 1881 at Hibernian Park in Edinburgh , part of a tour by Scotland and England teams. The Scottish Football Association recorded
7400-596: The playoffs. Following the 2015 season, head coach Jim Gabarra reached an agreement with Sky Blue to be released from his contract, having agreed terms to join the Washington Spirit . Gabarra's assistant, Christy Holly , was later named his successor for the 2016 season. Sky Blue FC opened its 2016 season at Seattle Reign in thrilling fashion on Sunday, April 17, 2016, winning 2–1 and handing two-time defending NWSL Shield winner its first-ever home loss at Memorial Stadium. The Reign were unbeaten at Memorial Stadium over
7500-402: The previous two seasons Sky Blue FC started six players who had never logged a single NWSL minute before that night. By the end of the season they had racked up with 26 points in 7th place. Playing twenty games this season, they ended up with seven wins, eight losses, and five draws. They scored 24 goals and had 30 against them. Sky Blue midfielder Raquel Rodríguez was named 2016 NWSL Rookie of
7600-459: The profile of the league. Players during that era included Susanne Augustesen (Denmark), Rose Reilly and Edna Neillis (Scotland), Anne O'Brien (Ireland) and Concepcion Sánchez Freire (Spain). Sweden was the first to introduce a professional women's domestic league in 1988, the Damallsvenskan . In 1989, Japan became the first country to have a semi-professional women's football league,
7700-439: The season in 6th place, failing to qualify for the playoffs. The 2015 season was similarly marred by poor form. After winning their opening match of the season, Sky Blue went on a winless streak until July 11. The game marked the debut for Australian international Sam Kerr , who scored the winning goal. Sky Blue ultimately finished the season in 8th place, having won only five games out of 20, and once more failing to qualify for
7800-428: The season progressed and held a 5–6–3 record when head coach Pauliina Miettinen was relieved of her duties. Immediately replacing her was assistant coach Rick Stainton, who led the team to a 2–4–4 record the rest of the way. After settling for three draws to conclude its sophomore campaign, Sky Blue FC finished the year in fifth place in the regular season standings and just missed the postseason. The 2011 season marked
7900-446: The season, veteran defender Ali Krieger announced that she would be retiring at the end of the 2023 NWSL season. Gotham FC finished the regular season in 6th place, securing the final playoff spot on the last day of the season. In the playoffs, Gotham FC defeated North Carolina Courage 0-3 and Portland Thorns FC 0–1 to advance to their first ever NWSL Championship Game. On November 11, 2023, Gotham FC won their first NWSL Championship,
8000-632: The sixth consecutive season. Off the field, in February co-owner and First Lady of New Jersey Tammy Murphy announced she would be taking an "active role" in the club. In the same statement, Murphy announced that the club had taken steps to improve player housing, as well as relocating its administrative offices, and expanding the size of the club's staff. Murphy also committed to improving Sky Blue's training facilities. Longtime president and General Manager Tony Novo resigned in April, with reports alleging that Novo
8100-541: The south-side goal), and travel to road games, singing songs and chants throughout the game. During the team's tenure at Yurcak Field, Cloud 9 stood and supported from Section 9 during home games. Only competitive matches are counted. Wins, losses, and draws are results at the final whistle; the results of penalty shootouts are not counted. League championship(s): (2) League cup(s): (0) Women%27s association football Women's association football , more commonly known as women's football or women's soccer ,
8200-438: The start of the tournament. These absences, coupled with the extensive changes that had been made to the club in a short space of time, led to Sky Blue entering the Challenge Cup as "the true underdog". The truncated season was seen as pushing back the club's growth, while at the same time the tournament was perceived as "more of a development opportunity." Heading into the tournament, the team were perceived as least likely to reach
8300-754: The suspension of the 2012 season, Sky Blue FC announced a partnership with the New Jersey Wildcats of the W-League , which included sharing coaching staff. In November 2012, it was announced that Sky Blue FC would be one of eight teams in a new women's professional soccer league sponsored by the United States Soccer Federation , the Canadian Soccer Association and the Mexican Football Federation . The league, known as
8400-405: The team for disagreements on May 23, 2009. He was eventually relieved of his duties as head coach and general manager on May 28, 2009. In his absence, Kelly Lindsey stepped in as the interim and slowly started to turn around Sky Blue FC's on-field fortunes. She was eventually permanently installed as head coach on June 19, 2009, by then General Manager Gerry Marrone. Lindsey's time at the helm
8500-441: The team for the 2010 season after completing her coaching duties with PK-35 Vantaa . Sky Blue FC started its title defense on April 11, 2010, when it hosted the Chicago Red Stars at Yurcak Field. The team wasted little time in gaining its first goal on the young season, with forward Tasha Kai scoring on a fourth-minute strike to lead her team to an eventual 1–0 victory. Sky Blue FC found itself having some trouble tallying goals as
8600-399: The team's first title since the 2009 WPS Championship, by a score of 1–2 over OL Reign with first half goals by Lynn Williams and Esther Gonzalez . The club's visual identity has changed multiple times throughout its history. During their tenure in Women's Professional Soccer , Sky Blue FC's home colors were orange and their away colors were sky blue. Beginning with the 2013 season and
8700-408: The team's originally scheduled preseason was cancelled. The start date of the 2020 NWSL season was also pushed back before being cancelled altogether and replaced by the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup . Veteran defender Caprice Dydasco , new arrival Pugh, and star midfielder Carli Lloyd were ruled out of the Challenge Cup through injury. Midfielder Madison Tiernan also picked up an injury shortly before
8800-482: The team, alongside businessman Steven H. Temares , Francesco Prandoni and Thomas Hofstetter. The Murphys would later claim that their motivation in founding the club was as an example to their daughter, in order to prove that there was a viable pathway for women in the United States to play professional soccer. By September 2007, the club had been selected to fulfill the New York/New Jersey slot in Women's Professional Soccer and rebranded as Sky Blue FC. Following this move,
8900-475: The time of her dismissal, Reddy had won only one of thirty-three matches in charge of the club. Goalkeeping coach Hugo Macedo was named interim head coach following Reddy's dismissal. In his first game in charge, Macedo guided Sky Blue to a 2–1 win over the Chicago Red Stars , their first victory in an away game since September 2017. Under Macedo, Sky Blue amassed a 4–2–4 record. However, on September 4, Macedo returned to his previous role of goalkeeping coach and
9000-479: The title holders and Arsenal are the club with a record 14 wins. Despite tournament sponsorship by some companies, entering the cup actually costs clubs more than they get in prize money. In 2015, it was reported that even if Notts County were to win the tournament, the £8,600 winnings would leave them out of pocket. The winners of the Men's FA Cup in the same year received £1.8 million, with teams that did not even reach
9100-471: The world. According to a club statement, the crown represents the club's ambitions to become an international club. The lettering on the crest contains a hybrid letter Y and letter J, reflecting the club's name, location, and fanbase. The new kit is similarly representative. The blue sash running diagonally across the kit harkens back to the team's roots as Sky Blue FC. The sash also symbolizes the Hudson River,
9200-432: Was followed by veteran defender Christie Pearce announcing she would miss the remainder of the season due to injury on August 18. Following Holly's abrupt departure, assistant manager Dave Hodgson was appointed interim head coach. On August 19, 2017, Sky Blue overcame a 3–0 deficit, to defeat the Seattle Reign 5–4. In that game Sam Kerr became the first player in NWSL history to score 4 goals in one game. Kerr enjoyed
9300-523: Was forced out of the club. Alyse LaHue, formerly General Manager of the Chicago Red Stars, was named interim GM following Novo's resignation. LaHue was later made permanent General Manager on September 3. In November 2019, Sky Blue announced that they had reached an agreement with Major League Soccer club the New York Red Bulls to play their home matches for the following season at Red Bull Arena . In December, Freya Coombe's appointment as head coach
9400-586: Was further debilitated by nationwide bans which often resembled the English FA's measures. The German Football Association banned women's football from 1955 until 1970. Women's football was also banned in France from 1941 to 1970. In Brazil, the Vargas regime and the military dictatorship legally prohibited women and girls from playing football from 1941 to 1979. Following the FA ban on women's teams on 5 December 1921,
9500-417: Was initiated in 1997 and evolved to the Women's Super League in 2004. From 2011 to 2014, the league was named the Women's National Football League. The Indian Women's League was launched in 2016. The country has held the top-tier tournament, Indian Women's Football Championship , since 1991. In 1985, the United States women's national soccer team was formed. Following the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup ,
9600-496: Was made permanent. Following their previous announcement of a groundshare arrangement, in February 2020 Sky Blue announced that they had agreed a deal to share training facilities with the New York Red Bulls. That same month, Ed Nalbandian joined the club as minority owner and was appointed Vice Chair. Heading into the 2020 season, Sky Blue's off field developments over the preceding year were perceived as having turned around
9700-414: Was not until September 9, 2008, that the New York/New Jersey outfit was officially unveiled under the name Sky Blue FC. One week later, the U.S. women's national team allocation took place with Heather O'Reilly , Natasha Kai , and Christie Pearce allocated to Sky Blue FC. On September 24, the 2008 WPS International Draft was held. Sky Blue FC drafted Australia national team forward Sarah Walsh in
9800-464: Was reached to establish a new professional women's league, consisting of teams from Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., as well as an undetermined sixth city located somewhere in the Western United States . Originally planned to begin play in 2008, the launch of this new league, dubbed Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), was subsequently pushed back to 2009. Boston and
9900-468: Was replaced as interim head coach by Freya Coombe . Under Coombe, Sky Blue went on to win only one of their final five games of the season. Having had three head coaches in a single season for the second time, Sky Blue finished the 2019 season with a record of 5 wins, 5 draws, and 14 defeats. This saw them finish 8th in the table, ahead of only the Orlando Pride , and failing to qualify for the playoffs for
10000-418: Was short-lived as she abruptly resigned from her position on July 30, 2009. She had won five games and drawn three others in her twelve total matches before Christie Rampone was named the second interim of the year and third head coach overall by Marrone. Her position also included playing on the field and she was the first player/manager in WPS history. Rampone led Sky Blue FC into 4th position and secured
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