Why Geyse might be Gotham FC's X-factor in the attack | OneFootball

NJ/NY Gotham FC's final offseason move may become one of their most consequential. On March 24, already two games into the 2025 season, the Bats announced the signing of Brazilian forward Geyse from WSL side Manchester United. She joined on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.

She joined the New Jersey side on the back of an unhappy spell at Manchester United that ultimately reached a boiling point when the club tried to loan her while she was in her native Brazil for her brother's funeral. This put an end to an unproductive two seasons for the forward, where she managed just three goals and six assists in 63 matches for United.

While she is still on a minutes restriction as she continues to bed into the squad, the move has very clearly been something she has needed. Not only does she have two other Brazilians in Gabi Portilho and Bruninha as teammates, as well as being able to play her club soccer closer to home, but she has also joined an organization that very clearly values its players and wants to become one of the global superpowers in the sport.

So why is Geyse the big X-factor over the plethora of other forwards Gotham currently has at their disposal? Simply put, her player profile is one that is not just unique to this current roster but also has a track record of success in the NWSL.

Geyse is a unique player for Gotham FC

Despite her recent struggles, she does have a proven track record as a goal scorer from her time playing in Spain. Over a three-season span split between Madrid Club de Fútbol Femenino and FC Barcelona, Geyse scored over 40 goals and had over 15 assists from 2020 through 2023, which included a 22-goal season with Madrid. These were quality numbers, especially considering she was playing mainly as a winger during this time. Notably, she spent a season with Madrid CFF from 2017 through 2018 as well.

This shows that she is capable of being a strong secondary scorer, something this Gotham team could really use. After an offseason that saw quite a large amount of roster turnover, the Bats revamped their attack and seemingly made striker Esther González more of a focal point in attack. This is noticeable when one sees creators like Sarah Schupansky and Gabi Portilho take over starting spots that were vacated in the offseason.

When one adds the return of Midge Purce from her ACL tear, they can see how this change in approach is taking shape. And so far, it is somewhat working. Gotham FC is in the middle of the table, with those in a playoff spot separated by four points. González is currently sitting atop the Golden Boot rankings with seven goals. Of course, González can't be the only goal scorer on this Gotham team. This is where Geyse, as well as Ella Stevens, come into play.

Stevens is a known quantity at Gotham after her breakout 2024 season that saw her score eight goals and seven assists in 31 matches, which bettered her goal and assist output with Chicago Stars FC in about half the amount of games. Geyse, meanwhile, is obviously not as well known, but fans have quickly been able to see what she's about in her limited minutes so far with the club.

What makes her such an interesting player for this team is that she is very different to the likes of Stevens and González. Stevens is phenomenal with the ball at her feet and is the most physical of the three while González has an incredible soccer IQ and is a lethal finisher. Geyse meanwhile is by far and away the fastest of the three and is able to stretch the field and go to the goal in a way nobody else really can on Gotham.

This provides head coach Juan Carlos Amorós with three really distinct attacking profiles at the center forward position. And with Geyse, it really feels like they have just barely scratched the surface of what she can be in this league as a player. Fans have seen glimpses of not just her pace in her short time here, but also her willingness to get to the goal and shoot, something a lot of other players tend to be tentative to do.

And it is that profile of player, a forward with pace and a willingness to shoot, that tends to produce the best players in this league's history. Whether it be Temwa Chawinga, Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Sam Kerr, Alex Morgan, Lynn Biyendolo, the list goes on and on. The best goal scorers both in the past and the here and now of the NWSL have been players like Geyse.

Of the runaway top four teams in 2024, Gotham were the lowest scorers with 41 goals, five goals less than the next highest team, the Orlando Pride, and a whopping 16 fewer than the Kansas City Current. Having a player like Geyse, who can be effective in a starting role or off the bench, provides them with a spark that they really did not have last season. Hopefully, the Bats will put more games to bed earlier on rather than sweating out a result all the way to the 90th minute.

All of this makes Geyse an exciting signing for Gotham FC. While González is the obvious number one option, she does have a tendency to go cold from time to time. Despite her great 2024, Stevens can also be a little bit of a streaky scorer. If either of them falters at any point in the season, expect to see Geyse step into a more prominent role either out wide or in the middle.