Gotham FC promotes GM Yael Averbuch West after pair of NWSL titles

The architect of Gotham FC’s title-winning teams got a promotion.Yael Averbuch West will be taking the new role of president of soccer operations, The Post confirmed.Previously she was listed as Gotham’s general manager and head of soccer operations.Gotham has twice won the NWSL championship (2023, 2025) on Averbuch West’s watch, and last year they won the inaugural CONCACAF W Champions Cup. Averbuch West, a New Jersey native, joined the club in 2021 as the first former USWNT player to be named a general manager in the NWSL. Averbuch West has recruited talent such as Spanish international Esther González in 2023, and the following year imported USWNT players Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Tierna Davidson and Crystal Dunn.

Last year, she engineered the largest intra-league transfer deal in NWSL history when Jaedyn Shaw was brought in for $1.25 million from the North Carolina Courage. Most recently, she signed former Chelsea star Guro Reiten, who has helped spark Gotham’s move up the 2026 standings.In addition, Gotham FC has developed a pair of Rookie of the Year winners in Jenna Nighswonger (2023) and Lilly Reale (2025), and rookie forward Jordynn Dudley is a front-runner for this year’s award.Gotham FC sit in fifth place in the NWSL as the league pauses play during World Cup group stage.“We’ve not yet put together a full season of dominance in the way that we aspire to,” Averbuch West told The Post’s Madeline Kenney in March.

“And that does take time, that takes continued progress, but we’re very ambitious about reaching a new level of consistent high performance.”The move comes at a when when Gotham is expanding its footprint.They are set to host a match at Citi Field on July 15 against the Washington Spirit that may break the attendance record for a women’s sports event in New York City.Currently based at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., Gotham are in talks to move to NYCFC’s new home in Queens, Etihad Park, which is s...