Gotham FC signs Ryan Campbell for backup goalkeeper role
Gotham FC has landed a potential backup for goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger for next season.
Less than four months after the New Jersey-based NWSL team locked in its star goalie on a long-term extension, Gotham signed UCLA star goalkeeper Ryan Campbell to a one-year deal, the club announced Friday morning.
Campbell spent the first four years of college at Stanford. She was named 2023 Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year after she allowed only 13 goals in 23 matches, which included 60 saves and 20 wins.
The 5-foot-11 goalkeeper transferred to UCLA before last season. As a graduate student, Campbell started every match for the Bruins and led the nation with 16 clean sheets, the second-most in a single season in UCLA history.
In a written statement, Gotham general manager Yael Averbuch West lauded Campbell for an “outstanding collegiate career” and said the club was “excited” to welcome her on board.
“We believe that she has all the tools to be an outstanding professional goalkeeper,” Averbuch West said.
Campbell called her signing with Gotham a “major lifetime fulfillment” for her.
“Above all, this moment in time is a catalyst, a turning point in my goalkeeping career that will demand the utmost focus and determination from me,” she said.
The news of Campbell’s addition comes months after Gotham made a postseason run to the NWSL semifinals.
Campbell will likely benefit from working with Berger, the 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year who helped Germany to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics this summer.
Berger, who joined Gotham from English giant Chelsea last spring, signed an extension in September that runs through 2026.
Last season, Berger ranked first in goals against average (0.727) and allowed only 16 goals in the regular season. She also posted eight clean sheets in 22 games.
