Jaelin Howells USWNT revival is the payoff for being backbone of Gothams repeat bid

CHESTER, Pa.— Gotham FC’s Jaelin Howell isn’t the flashiest player.As a midfielder, Howell does the work that often goes overlooked by the casual observer.

She serves as the link between the defense and the attack.Her job is to control the tempo and help win or retain possession. But Howell enjoys doing the dirty work.

She’s had as big an impact on Gotham as the club has had on her career. “That’s one thing … you can count on me for bringing is energy and just bring some tackles and going into a game,” Howell said Tuesday after the U.S.women’s national team’s 2-2 draw against Spain.“That’s what I wanted to do.

Get the ball forward.”Howell’s grind of proving herself at the club level has paid off. Her defensive bite and consistent play at the base of the midfield not only helped fuel Gotham’s 2025 championship run and this year’s bid to repeat, it also earned her a long-awaited return to the USWNT. Howell was absent from the senior national team for three-plus years following a debut in 2020 while she was still in college.But she returned to the USWNT late last year, and earned another call-up earlier this month when she was tapped as an injury replacement player for the two friendly matches against top-ranked Spain — back in the picture eight months out from the 2027 World Cup. “She is such a workhorse in her DNA for us as a club,” Howell’s USWNT and Gotham teammate Tierna Davidson said.“You could see it on the field [Tuesday], how many balls that she was winning, the efforts that she was putting in.”Since joining Gotham via trade from Seattle after the 2024 season, Howell has found the stability, trust and opportunity to develop into the player she is today.She credited playing with world-class players such as Davidson, Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett who push her daily.Gotham’s coaching staff also has helped restore Howell’s confidence.

They helped her rebound from an injury-riddled stretch that hindered her ...