Rose Lavelle re-signing with Gotham FC for three years in massive move

Rose is putting down more roots in New York.Gotham FC has re-signed midfield maestro Rose Lavelle through 2029, according to ESPN, covering the team’s move to a new urban home in Queens for the 2028 season.  Lavelle’s current contract had been set to expire at the end of this season. ESPN reported several teams made “aggressive” free-agent offers for the 31-year-old, who is also a World Cup and Olympic champion with the United States women’s national team.But Lavelle will stick around as the franchise prepares to relocate to Etihad Park, the soccer-specific stadium rising across the street from Citi Field.Gotham reportedly will utilize the NWSL’s High Impact Player rule to accommodate Lavelle’s salary on the new three-year contract.The HIP mechanism allows teams to use additional funds — up to $1 million in 2026, but rising in the coming years — beyond the league’s hard salary cap to pay top players, as defined by a set of on-field and off-field metrics.In July, Gotham president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West told The Post the team was “working every day” to get Lavelle re-signed.“As I think people have seen, we work very hard on the roster and we’re always thinking about and evaluating the roster,” Averbuch West said that day.Recent roster iterations include: inking striker Sam Kerr to a deal through 2030; re-signing Emily Sonnett; importing Guro Reiten from Chelsea; jettisoning youngsters Lilly Reale and Sarah Schupanksy to Boston; adding veteran midfielders Denise O’Sullivan and Tess Boade; agreeing to prematurely terminate forward Esther González’s contract (only for González to turn around and sign in Saudi Arabia).Lavelle, who joined Gotham in 2024 and scored the winning goal in the 2025 title game, has four goals in 19 matches this season. She missed Friday night’s draw against Portland due to a head injury, and remained in concussion protocol ahead of Sunday’s road game in Denver.Gotham are unbeaten in the...