Tierna Davidson will miss the remainder of the National Women’s Soccer League season with a torn ACL in her left knee, her club NJ/NY Gotham FC announced Wednesday. Davidson was injured late in the first half of Gotham’s scoreless draw in Houston last Friday. The injury was non-contact as most ACL injuries are. She landed awkwardly jumping to defend a pass near the touchline.
“We are heartbroken for Tierna,” Yael Averbuch West, the general manager and head of soccer operations Gotham FC, said in a statement. “Our club will do everything we can to support her through this recovery and rehabilitation process. We know she will come back stronger than ever.”
This will be Davidson’s second ACL rehab in four years. She tore the same ligament in her right knee during a March 2022 training session with the then-Chicago Red Stars. Her college career at Stanford ended prematurely when she fractured her left ankle early in the 2018 season.
Davidson then gave up her final year of eligibility to enter the 2019 NWSL Draft where the Red Stars selected her with the No. 1 pick. She became the first player to be drafted with college eligibility remaining following a rule change announced late in 2018. Turning pro allowed Davidson to reap full financial rewards from being part of the U.S. national team that won the World Cup in 2019. Last summer, Davidson added an Olympic gold medal to her personal trophy collection.
Earlier this week, Davidson was replaced by Gisele Thompson ahead of U.S. camp and two friendlies against Brazil.
The loss of Davidson is a blow to a Gotham team that lost much of its depth during the offseason. She was replaced on the pitch last weekend by Mandy Freeman, who partnered Emily Sonnett in central defense the rest of the way. Gotham are off to a slow start with just two points through three matches. They have been shutout in their last two matches, the first time since Juan Carlos Amoros became head coach in 2023 that has happened.
Davidson joined Gotham via free agency in 2024.
