Gotham FC sends three players to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo

NJ/NY Gotham FC is sending three players to the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics, including the oldest women’s soccer Olympian in U.S history.

Longtime U.S. women’s national team forward Carli Lloyd will rejoin the side from Gotham FC for next month’s Olympics (her fourth Games). Also heading to Tokyo will be a pair of Gotham teammates on Team Canada as goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and forward Evelyne Viens each will make their Olympic debuts.

Lloyd, who turns 39 next month, will become the oldest U.S Olympic women’s soccer player in Tokyo, beating Christie Rampone, who was 37 for the 2012 Games in London. Lloyd already has two gold medals to her name from 2008 and 2012.

She has 125 international goals in her career, the fourth most in USWNT history, and is the third-most capped player for the U.S. with 304 appearances, behind only Kristine Lilly and Rampone. Lloyd’s been part of the attack for Gotham, previously known as Sky Blue FC, since 2018, but has yet to score a goal for the club this season in four appearances.

Sheridan, 25, traveled as an alternate for Canada in the 2016 Rio Olympics but did not make the roster. She nearly missed this year’s delayed tournament as well after a hamstring injury suffered in a February SheBelieves Cup match required surgery, but her work to return to the field has paid off. Sheridan has made 11 appearances for Canada, including a clean sheet against Brazil during a friendly earlier this month. She’s been strong for Gotham this season as well, starting four matches with two shutouts and just two goals allowed.

Viens, in her second season with Gotham, also joined Canada during its recent friendlies ahead of the Olympics, seeing minutes in both games. She has seven international caps with two goals thus far at 24 years old. In NWSL play, Viens has an assist in four regular-season appearances this year.