Midge Purce reveals quad tear after return to field for Gotham FC

Midge Purce made her return for Gotham FC in Sunday’s 2-1 win against the Chicago Red Stars. The 27-year-old took the field for the first time since April 19 and “10 weeks after a torn quad,” as she revealed after the match.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who helped me get back on the pitch,” she wrote. “This was a hard one. Not the timing I would’ve chosen, but you know what they say 😉 God’s timing is always right.”

10 weeks after a torn quad.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who helped get me back on the pitch. This was a hard one.

Not the timing I would've chosen, but you know what they say ;) God's timing is always right pic.twitter.com/aK84lzReLT

— Midge Purce (@100Purcent) June 26, 2023

Purce, who signed a contract extension with Gotham in March, also had been in consideration for a World Cup spot for the U.S. women’s national team. While she made the cut for the first two camps of 2023, she was left off the roster for the April camp, then missed valuable NWSL playing time with her injury.

Add her name to a long list of USWNT players who missed their shot at the World Cup due to injury, among them captain and defender Becky Sauerbrunn.

Purce scored two goals and contributed two assists in three regular-season games before she was sidelined, and she’ll look to regain that scoring form as the season continues. She finished with just three goals and three assists in the 2022 season, but she led Gotham in scoring with nine goals in 2021.

“Last year is not something that was enjoyable for me, it makes me sick,” Purce told reporters ahead of the season. “This year I want to score goals on both the national team and for the club, I want to be a top player in both settings. That’s all I’m after.

“Regardless of how I’m coming from last year, how I’m coming from [USWNT] camps, the plan is always to come flying out of the gate and be the best possible version of myself as possible.”