​Rookie Jordynn Dudley is the perfect puzzle piece as Gotham seek NWSL shield and title defense originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.HARRISON, NEW JERSEY — A woman of few words, Gotham FC rookie sensation Jordynn Dudley sums up the journey of her first NWSL season so far in just a few quick seconds.”I can be really hard on myself sometimes, so I think that’s something I’ve had to work on, just moving on to the next moment.”Speaking after Gotham spent 90 minutes completely dominating the Chicago Stars on Friday evening under a blood red sky at home, the 21-year-old rookie reflected on a brilliant season so far, one that has not come without growing pains but one that has seen her blossom into an everyday starter for the defending champions seeking to defend that crown.”Speed is a big thing, but also tactically, it’s not always fast fast fast, you need to know when to take your moments,” Dudley told The Sporting News following the 3-1 victory over Chicago, “and I think that’s a little bit different than college, because college can be very transitional, and with us, we try not to make the game transitional.”A two-way star as a kid who starred at basketball, becoming her high school’s all-time leading scorer, Dudley “just knew soccer was what I wanted to do” long-term, she told reporters after winning her first of two national titles at Florida State.The youngster was the story of the game last weekend as Gotham secured a gutsy 2-1 win at the NC Courage, as the youngster scored both goals including a 91st-minute winner that sent the NWSL leaders home on a high note after a grueling three-match road trip.But end product is just a tiny part of her game, and her immediate contributions to a title defender go far beyond just goals and assists.”I kind of learned this in college too, knowing my role on the team and knowing I don’t have to be scoring goals to be playing well. Our team is still winning and we’re still producing, so I don’t think it’s that difficult.”You always want to score, but there are other ways to impact the game.”Her performance against Chicago was a perfect encapsulation of her importance to this team beyond just putting the ball in the back of the net. She spent most of the game traversing the entirety of the right wing, not only attacking in volume but also combining with teammates and tracking back when Midge Purce overlapped and found herself caught up the field.The youngster finished the match with five touches in the opposition penalty area, completed all three of her dribbles, recovered four loose balls, and added two defensive contributions, and most importantly, won six of her 10 ground duels while securing two fouls, one of which drew a yellow card to the opponent.”You watch the game and see without a goal and assist she was still probably one of the best players on the football on the football pitch today, no?” said Gotham head coach Juan Ca