February 15, 2023 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – NJ/NY Gotham FC News Release
HARRISON, NJ – NJ/NY Gotham FC today announced that an elite group of experienced and accomplished professionals from around the world have joined Gotham FC Head Coach Juan Carlos Amorós on the coaching staff.
As the club continues to build on a new vision both on and off the field, new Gotham FC assistant coaches include former U.S. Women’s National Team player Jen Lalor, along with Shaun Harris and Ak Lakhani – who both previously coached alongside Amorós during his successful tenure at Tottenham Hotspur FC.
Jesús Botello Hermosa serves as Head of Tactical Analysis and Adrián Benítez Jiménez joins the club as Strength and Conditioning Coach. Remaining with the club from last season, Philip Congleton is now Head of Sports Science, and Brody Sams continues as Goalkeeper Coach.
“I am proud to be joined by these incredibly talented, experienced and dedicated coaches from across global soccer in our mission to build Gotham FC into the championship club that New Jersey and New York deserve,” said Amorós. “Jen, Ak, Shaun, Adrián, Jesús, Brody and Philip make this a truly international staff of leaders who each bring specialized qualities and expertise to our club. Collectively, we are committed to advancing the development of every player and to forming a cohesive unit that plays as a team and makes our fans proud. We are all honored to work with the amazing players of Gotham FC.”
Below are brief biographies for the new members of the Gotham FC coaching staff.
Jen Lalor | Assistant Coach
In addition to her duties as assistant coach, Lalor also will play an integral role for Gotham FC with the club’s player development pipeline. Lalor won the bronze medal with the USWNT at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1995 and played professionally in Japan, Denmark and Sweden. She also played in the first women’s professional league in the U.S. (Women’s United Soccer Association) with the New York Power and San Diego Spirit. At Santa Clara University, Lalor was the first women’s soccer player in school history to earn a full athletic scholarship and was later inducted into the SCU Athletic Hall of Fame. Lalor has worked extensively at U.S. Soccer in the youth national team system as a coach, scout, technical advisor, and club development manager. As a head coach, she has led two teams to national championships: San Diego SeaLions of the WPSL in 2013, and Albion SC San Diego U16…