On Tuesday morning, NJ/NY Gotham FC announced that Juan Carlos Amorós had been named the NWSL club’s new head coach. Amorós led the Houston Dash as an interim head coach to a fourth-place finish and the team’s first-ever playoff appearance. He has signed a three-year contract with the East Coast club.
The news comes a few days after sources informed The Striker that Amorós had decided to leave Houston to "pursue other opportunities." Hours after that report, multiple sources confirmed that Amorós was destined to take over at Gotham FC.
"I’m proud to have this opportunity to work with the players and staff on building Gotham FC into the club this community and our incredible fans deserve,” said Amorós. "The players will know they have a coaching staff who teaches and listens, and we will always work together to create an exciting brand of football for our fans. I cannot wait to get started and show our fans what Gotham FC will be, and I’m determined to lead this club to become a global destination in the football world.”
On Monday night, Amoros took to social media to share a few words with the Houston faithful.
"This has been the most difficult decision of my professional career," he said via a photo statement. After a short but incredibly successful spell with the Dash, the intra-league move was a surprise to many.
— Juan Carlos Amoros (@JuanC_Amoros) November 1, 2022
In the 2022 NWSL season, Amorós began his tenure as interim head coach of the Houston Dash on July 16 with a 4-1 win over Chicago. He led Houston to a 6-3-2 record as the club earned the first playoff berth in its nine-year history.
Prior to his stint in Houston, Amorós was the coach of Real Betis Féminas from 2021 to 2022. While there he led them to a club-record unbeaten streak in Spain’s top division. The Spaniard also previously co-managed Tottenham Hotspur Women in England for a decade. He earned the Manager of the Year honors in 2019 when the London club was promoted to the FA Women's Super League.
“Juan Carlos is an experienced and ambitious coach who is highly respected by players for his tactical knowledge and leadership,” said Gotham FC GM and Head of Soccer Operations Yael Averbuch West. “He shares a strong belief in our vision for Gotham FC, and we are very excited to bring him to NJ/NY.”
After a trying 2022 season, where Gotham finished last in the NWSL standings, the signing of Amoros to a lengthy contract shows serious desire and intent from the club. Averbuch-West has clearly found Gotham's No. 1 candidate to lead the club and will be doing everything in their power to provide him with the tools to be successful.
