Sarah Schupansky reflects on her standout rookie season so far – Equalizer Soccer

Photo Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The distance between Seattle, Washington, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a whopping 2,533 miles. However, Sarah Schupansky’s mom made sure she found her way from the Steel City to the Emerald City for her daughter’s professional debut.

For the rookie attacker, her mom’s presence was a major source of comfort as she found herself in the starting lineup for Gotham FC in her first professional game in the National Women’s Soccer League.

“Having someone in the stands that I knew was going to think of me just the same regardless of how I performed that night was comforting,” Schupansky told The Equalizer.

Schupansky, who is 22, said that her first professional game at Lumen Field was a night she’ll never forget. She played 89 minutes and earned a 7.3 rating on FotMob for her performance — tied with Gabi Portilho for the best-ranked player from that match for Gotham.

“I remember the field in Seattle, and how it’s a football field, so it all felt very professional,” Schupansky said. “I felt like I was on the Netflix ‘Quarterback’ series with the bright lights and seeing the fans, even though they weren’t our fans, filling the stands and supporting women’s sports. Getting to experience that firsthand was unmatched and unbelievable. I’ll never forget that.”