Spain’s Esther González brings a World Cup champion’s shine to the NWSL

NEW YORK — The scale of the moment Thursday night when Gotham FC introduced Esther González as its newest star could be measured in two ways.

One was the fitting surroundings for one of Spain’s World Cup champions: a roped-off section of one of Manhattan’s most famous Spanish restaurants. Tapas of all kinds flowed as fluently as conversations in Spanish and English among the event’s attendees. Not only were González, manager Juan Carlos Amorós, and general manager Yael Averbuch West there, but Gotham part-owner Sue Bird brought a little extra star power.

The other was the historic impact of González’s arrival, in the Big Apple and in the NWSL as a whole. It’s just the second time since American pro women’s soccer began 22 years ago that a reigning World Cup champion from a country other than the U.S. has joined a team here.

So yes, this was a big moment, one that couldn’t be missed even at a busy time. Lots of media turned up, from local outlets to national ones. Gotham has rarely earned so much attention beyond game days in its 15-year history, from the present to its predecessor Sky Blue FC.

» READ MORE: Spain wins the women’s World Cup and arrives as a women’s soccer superpower

“For us not only to bring a top, top player from Spain, but somebody who captained a team that won the World Cup, I think the level of what that means is huge,” West told The Inquirer, and she knows especially well. The 36-year-old played for seven clubs across three countries in her 10-year pro career, including Sky Blue; and 26 times for the U.S. national team.

“There are some leagues and some countries where I think players have been somewhat reluctant to come to this league,” West said. “From the very beginning, we realized Esther has the personality necessary to come here and succeed. She’s up for an adventure and really intense in a way that — you can just tell when you talk to someone if they’re going to be up for this.”

González isn’t just one of Spain’s captains, with a goal at this year’s World Cup among her 27 in 38 games. The 30-year-old striker’s club career includes six years at Atlético Madrid, one of Spain’s traditional powers; and the last two seasons at Real Madrid, which infamously didn’t have a women’s team until 2020. She scored 30 goals in 54 games for Real, making her the top scorer in the club’s short history.

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Gotham started pursuing González well before the World Cup, since her contract at Real ended in the spring. Amorós, a fellow Spaniard, knew of her from coaching there before he came here. And González was already paying attention to the U.S. when the call came.

“The U.S. is a powerhouse, especially the national team, and as a team they were always the best and a reference for all of us, including me,” she said. “Now having the chance to play in this league, face those players that I’ve idolized — I never thought I’d make it. I know players like Vero Boquete played here before, and when I was younger, I always thought, ‘Hopefully one day I can do it.’”

And without knowing it, she confirmed West’s point: “When the opportunity arose, it was a chance for me to prove to myself that I’m up for the task.”

Longtime Philadelphia soccer fans remember Boquete as a star of the former Independence. In Spain, she’s a legend: a great player on the field and a fierce advocate off it.

Years before the uproar against disgraced Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales and former national team manager Jorge Vilda, Boquete led protests against Vilda’s predecessor, Ignacio Quereda. She was ostracized from the team as a result, but got her revenge by becoming a TV commentator and frequent interview subject. She’s had plenty to say lately.

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The scandal has overshadowed what should be a moment of grand celebration: Spain winning its first women’s World Cup with a style of soccer that was both elegant and gritty.

“It is very difficult,” González said. “It’s so hard to be a world champion with all the great teams that played, and it angers me that [the scandal] was something that was given so much importance. But we all understand what we did, everyone does.”

González called Rubiales’ resignation “something we were all waiting for.” Much more work is needed, though, to change Spain’s soccer culture overall. She was one of 81 players, including the entire World Cup team, who signed an open letter on Aug. 25 stating they’d refuse to play for the national team “if the people currently in charge continue.” That implied more than Rubiales.

» READ MORE: Suspended Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales resigns after kiss scandal at World Cup

On Friday, González and 38 other players, including 21 from the World Cup, issued a new letter. It included more specific demands, “based on zero tolerance for those people who, from a position within the RFEF [Spain’s soccer governing body], have had, incited, hidden, or applauded attitudes that go against the dignity of women.”

After the statement, the RFEF postponed a national team squad announcement that was scheduled for later in the day.

Though Gotham formally introduced González on Thursday, she debuted for the club on Sept. 2 at North Carolina — just two days after her first practice and 13 days after the World Cup final. She’ll play her first home game on Saturday when Gotham hosts the Washington Spirit (7:30 p.m., Paramount+).

“She’s deadly in the box, but she works off the ball constantly. She’s very intelligent in her movement,” Amorós said. “She’s very good in combination play, and she’s very good technically to link-up play, which is a lot of the style that we that we like playing. She’s got the capacity to make better not only the team, but her teammates individually.”

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With four games left in the regular season, Gotham sits in fifth place in the standings (7-5-6, 27 points). Just six points separate the top eight teams, with the top six making the playoffs.

So there’s a lot to play for, and Gotham now has a fearsome front line: González, Lynn Williams, and Midge Purce. There’s also another Spanish newcomer in midfield, Maitane López from Atlético Madrid, who was the only Gotham player González knew when she arrived.

“I’ve spent a lot of time imagining this moment — getting here, getting to know the city, getting to know my new teammates,” González said. “In Spain, there’s a different playing style that I’m used to, and I’m here to show a new version of myself, get something extra to my game. … If you’re in a new place with good feelings, everything is easier. I’ve chosen wisely, and this is the place where I can be the best I can.”

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