Gotham FC midfielder Taryn Torres will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL in her left knee during training. Torres, 26, previously tore her ACL during preseason camp in March 2023, causing her to miss the entire 2023 season. Her latest injury has placed her on the NWSL’s season-ending injury list, significantly impacting the club’s midfield depth.
Torres has been a key contributor in 2025, making 15 appearances with eight starts and logging close to 800 minutes. While she has not recorded a goal or an assist, her value lies in her defensive awareness, positioning, and ability to help control possession. Her absence removes a key rotation option for head coach Juan Carlos Amorós during the business end of the season, forcing the club to rely more heavily on other players.
The injury places even more responsibility on Jaelin Howell, Gotham’s primary defensive midfielder and anchor of the team. Howell has started every match she has been available for this season, totaling 18 starts and contributing three goals while leading the team in several defensive metrics such as tackles, recoveries, and aerial duels won. She has played all 90 minutes in nearly every match, with the only exception being the 3-0 away win at Utah Royals, where she received a red card. That means even if head coach Juan Carlos Amorós had hoped to give her a brief rest, the opportunities to do so are extremely limited. With Torres out, Howell will be asked to shoulder an even greater workload, which could be beneficial in the short term but raises concerns about fatigue or potential injury as Gotham approaches the business end of the season.
Rookie midfielder Josefine Hasbo is likely to see an expanded role as a result of Torres’ absence. Hasbo, who joined Gotham in June after a standout collegiate career at Harvard, has primarily been deployed as a box-to-box midfielder, but she has the versatility and tactical understanding to play in a deeper defensive role. Torres’ injury opens the door for Hasbo to gain valuable minutes and experience at defensive midfield, allowing her to develop quickly under real-game conditions. While she may need time to fully adapt to the demands of professional-level defensive play, the opportunity gives Gotham a new option to help stabilize the middle of the park. How Hasbo performs in the coming weeks could be crucial for maintaining balance and consistency in Gotham’s midfield rotation.
For Gotham, the business end of the season will test the depth and resilience of the squad. Maintaining balance in midfield without Torres requires careful management of rotations, substitutions, and player minutes. If Hasbo can step into the defensive midfield role effectively, and Howell can handle the extra responsibility, Gotham can preserve its momentum heading into the playoffs. If not, the loss of Torres could compromise the team’s stability and effectiveness at a critical stage. The coming weeks will be pivotal in determining whether Gotham can overcome this setback and sustain its push for domestic and international success.
