Gotham FC signs World Cup veterans Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett
United States' midfielder Rose Lavelle (C) shoots and scores a goal during the women's friendly football match between the Netherlands and the United States of America (USA), at the Rat Verlegh Stadium in Breda, the Netherlands, on November 27, 2020. Credit: POOL/AFP via Getty Images/DEAN MOUHTAROPOULOS
National Women's Soccer League champion Gotham FC has signed U.S. national team players and World Cup champions Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett through 2026, the team announced Thursday.
Lavelle and Sonnett, both midfielders, played for OL Reign last season and were free agents.
Lavelle has scored 24 goals in 92 appearances for the United States. She scored in the 2019 World Cup final, helping lead the Americans to their second straight title in the tournament.
Lavelle, 28, has spent the last three seasons with the Reign, who went to the NWSL championship match this season but fell to Gotham. Overall, she has played in the league for seven seasons after she was selected by the now-defunct Boston Breakers with the top pick in the 2017 draft.
Sonnett, 30, spent just one season with the Reign, starting in 19 matches. She was the No. 1 draft pick in 2016 by the Portland Thorns.
Like Lavelle, Sonnett has played in the last two World Cups. She has 83 appearances with the U.S., scoring two goals.
“Rose is a crafty and entertaining player, and our fans and club will be very excited to watch her at Red Bull Arena, and Sonnett is a true professional and competitor, who understands what success in the league looks like," Gotham general manager Yael Averbuch West said in a statement. "The club and our fans are extremely excited to have players of their stature as we build upon the success of last season.”
Lavelle and Sonnett are the latest high-profile players to join Gotham in a flurry of offseason moves. The team also recently signed national team players Crystal Dunn and Tierna Davidson.
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