New York Soccer Stars Make Triumphant Return After Winning Gold in Paris

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The tristate area’s soccer champions and Olympic gold medalists were welcomed home Monday night in a celebratory match held at their home stadium, Red Bull Arena.

Crystal Dunn, Rose Lavelle, Lynn Williams, Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, and Jenna Nighswonger, of Gotham FC and the U.S. women’s national team, walked into the Harrison, New Jersey venue proudly wearing their gold medals around their necks, and were honored with a symbolic lighting of the torch led by tennis legend Billie Jean King.

The event marked the Olympians’ return to their stadium following their win at the Paris Games, which saw them defeat Brazil 1–0 in a fiery final match. And while they did not take the field at the friendly—as they’re still recovering from their time in France—they did root on their teammates as they played against London’s Chelsea FC. (Chelsea came out on top, with a final score of 3–1.)

“I got all of the feelings. All of the feelings of the week, all of the feelings of my career. It’s the best feeling in the world. When the final whistle blew, I didn’t know what to do—I just like tackled Lindsey Horan,” Williams told Harper’s Bazaar at the stadium, recalling the moment she and her teammates realized they had earned the gold.

“It was just the best feeling,” Nighswonger agreed of the moment. “[I’m] just filled with so much joy and gratitude.”

“It was such an amazing crowd and atmosphere. We’re so happy to have been able to bring back gold. And we’re really happy to be back now to support our girls playing Chelsea today,” Davidson added.

Gotham FC and Orlando Pride each had seven players compete at the Paris Olympics—more than any other National Women’s Soccer League team—and with a record six players on the USWNT, Gotham comprised a full third of the 18-person roster.

In honor of the Gotham Olympians’ big win and return, the soccer club debuted a new shirt today highlighting the players’ success. The black T-shirt lists the names of the players—Dunn, Lavelle, Williams, Davidson, Sonnett, and Nighswonger—each next to a sparkly gold ampersand meant to symbolize their gold medals. Ann-Katrin Berger’s name is placed at the end, as the cherry on top, next to a bronze exclamation mark in honor of her bronze medal. (In Paris, the Gotham FC goalkeeper played for Team Germany, which took home third place.) “Rose & Lynn & Jenna & Sonnett & Crystal & Tierna & Ann!” the message on the new tee reads. “Champions play here.”

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