Very few players reach the levels where you can pen them into every Starting XI they are available for. Even fewer players make themselves available enough to come close to Iron Player seasons year in and year out. Yet, that is exactly the type of player Angel City FC defender, Sarah Gorden, is. An NWSL veteran and one of the best defenders in the league, Gorden had herself another great season, further cementing herself not just as club legend, but legend of the game as a whole.
Huge congrats to Sarah Gorden on her 100th @nwsl regular season appearance. Locked in and ready for many more! 😤
Drop a 👏👏👏 for @Sarahlgorden ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6vGEqbeFT1
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) April 22, 2024
We can safely say Sarah Gorden has overcome her season-ending injury from 2022. After posting an Iron Woman season with the club in 2023, Gorden responded by nearly running it back and doing this same this season. Gorden appeared in all 26 matches for the club, and started all of them as well, she had to be brought off early twice this season, keeping her from another Iron Woman honor for 2024, however she did rack up 2,058 minutes for the club throughout the NWSL regular season. She also hit a major milestone this season, making her 100th NWSL regular season appearance for the club back in April.
Gorden is a player that can find herself up the pitch, but really, she is a defender. A true 5 type of center back that absolutely is not afraid to stick a boot in and do what needs to be done. That said, her pace does help with her ability to enjoy life in the offensive half, while still being capable of tracking back in defense. Gorden finished the year with an 84% passing success rate with just over 1500 pass attempts. She didn’t come away with a goal or assist in league play this season, but again, the club need her focused on defending the goal.
Speaking of, Gorden had a great season doing that. She finished the year with a very nice 69% tackles percentage, coming away with 20 on the year. She won 33 of her aerial duels and ended the season with 22 interceptions. Not to mention the countless moments she outran forwards on the counter to save sure goals and prevent opportunities even arising. It was a very typical world-class type of season from Gorden, doing everything asked of her and then some to help the team as best she can from the back.
Gorden is also one of those veterans who takes it upon herself to make sure she is helping out the young players coming up behind her. She is also one of the few players on the team that will vocally hold herself as well as teammates accountable throughout the year. It’s usually Gorden who is the first to call out a poor performance from the team, or speak out when things aren’t going right, but with that said, she is also a player who praises just as loudly, and even in critique, shows unwavering support for her teammates. While perhaps not the heart of the club, the veteran defender is definitely the soul of the club, and often personifies the identity that the club want to build.
Thoughts on the season for Sarah Gorden? Leave a comment below!