Gotham FC sign star defender who’s engaged to the goalie

Married to the game and engaged to the goalie.

On Monday, NJ/NY Gotham FC added five-time Women’s Soccer League champion Jess Carter from Chelsea FC Women for an undisclosed transfer fee, reuniting her with goalie Ann-Katrin Berger, who signed with Gotham in April — and also happens to be her fiancée.

The contract runs through 2026, with Carter being available after August 1.

“I cannot wait to join Gotham FC,” said Carter in a team release. “The club is playing at an incredible level right now in one of the toughest leagues in the world. I cannot wait to be a part of it all.”

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Carter, who is from England, is coming off a flourishing six years with the Blues, playing in front of Berger, who signed with Gotham in April — a month before the pair got engaged.

In the 2023-24 season, Carter started in 19 games through 21 appearances and was a pioneer for Chelsea, helping her former squad grab its fifth consecutive WSL title.

“Jess is one of the best players in the world,” Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said in a statement. “We are very excited for Jess to join Gotham FC. She can really shine with our style of football, and I believe our fans will enjoy her way of playing.”

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Adding to her decorated résumé, Carter showed she could keep her composure under pressure, with an astounding pass success rate of 88 percent. She also stood tall in the backline, leading her team in clearances (57) and blocks (6).

“Jess is a world-class player with incredible experience at both the club and international level,” Gotham FC General Manager Yael Averbuch West said. “We are very excited for her to add to the existing high-level competition in our environment.”

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Carter’s success also spilled onto the international level, where she has had 36 caps since her 2017 debut.

She was a crucial player in the 2023 FIFA World Cup squad, which fell short in the final match against Spain, 1-0. Carter started in six matches.

She comes to Gotham, ready to embrace what the team has to offer.

“Gotham also shares my same values,” Carter told The Equalizer . “How you treat people and how the team is treated are my biggest values. I think that I can really become a better football player when I’m surrounded by people who treat other people well, and really care for one another as people before footballers. That’s the most important thing.”

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