_037.jpg) Martin withGotham FC in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nealy Cameron Martin[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1998-04-22)April 22, 1998 (age 26) | ||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender,defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Gotham FC | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Birmingham United | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2019 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 76 | (5) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2022 | Racing Louisville | 29 | (0) |
| 2023– | Gotham FC | 19 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 April 2024 | |||
Nealy Cameron Martin (born April 22, 1998) is an American professionalsoccer player who plays as adefender ordefensive midfielder forNJ/NY Gotham FC of theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for theAlabama Crimson Tide. She has occasionally served as an emergencygoalkeeper, most notably in the closing minutes of Gotham's victory in the2023 NWSL Championship.
Born inBirmingham, Alabama, Martin began playing soccer at the age of three.[2] She attendedOak Mountain High School, which she helped lead to the Class 7A state championship in 2015, conceding a school-record-low six goals throughout her senior season.[3] She playedECNL club soccer for Birmingham United.[2] She was named the Birmingham Player of the Year after her senior season and was the top-ranked recruit of her class from the state of Alabama.[2]
Initially wanting to attendAuburn University, the alma mater of her parents, Martin was recruited by theUniversity of Alabama during her junior year.[2] She appeared in all 19 games (16 starts) in her freshman season in 2016. She started all 18 games in her sophomore season, helping Alabama qualify for theNCAA tournament where they lost in the first round. In her junior season, she started 19 games and scored 2 goals.[4] On August 17, 2018, when goalkeeper Alex Plavin received a red card againstTCU, junior defender Martin played 48 seconds in goal, saving a free kick attempt byYazmeen Ryan. Alabama was then able to substitute goalkeeper Kaylee Hammer.[5][6] Martin scored a career-high 3 goals in 20 games in her senior season. She helped Alabama reach the quarterfinals ofSEC tournament, where she scored in what was her final game as they lost 2–1 toVanderbilt.[4]
Martin went overseas to Wales to study and try to continue playing soccer when she heard thatNational Women's Soccer League clubRacing Louisville FC was holding open tryouts in December 2020.[7][8] She was named to Louisville's preseason roster and officially signed with the club on April 5, 2021.[9][10] She made her professional debut on April 10, starting in a 2–2 draw against theOrlando Pride in the group stage of theNWSL Challenge Cup.[11][12] She appeared in 18 matches (13 starts) for the season atcenter back oroutside back.[13]
Martin made 4 starts for Louisville at right back in the2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. In the regular season, she made 11 appearances (8 starts) but was unused for 10 of the last 11 games of the year.[14] She was waived by Louisville at the end of the season.[15]
NJ/NY Gotham FC signed Martin off the waiver wire on December 8, 2022, on a one-year contract with an option for an additional year.[15] She made her club debut on April 19, 2023, coming on forKristie Mewis in a 1–0 win against theWashington Spirit in theNWSL Challenge Cup group stage.[16] She recorded her first NWSL assist on June 25, whenLynn Williams scored off Martin'sthrow-in for the opening goal in a 2–1 win against theChicago Red Stars.[17] On August 19, during a 2–1 loss to theSan Diego Wave, she played the final minutes of stoppage time in goal after goalkeeperAbby Smith was injured and Gotham had used all their substitutions.[18] On September 22, she signed a new contract to keep her with Gotham through 2026.[19] She finished the 2023 regular season with 15 appearances (13 starts) as a defensive midfielder as Gotham placed sixth of 12 teams.[20]
In the 2023 playoffs, Martin started as Gotham defeated theNorth Carolina Courage 2–0 and thePortland Thorns 1–0 in extra time to reach thechampionship game.[21] In the title game on November 12, Gotham ledOL Reign 2–1 when goalkeeperMandy Haught was sent off with a straight red card in the 97th minute. Martin stepped in goal for the second time that year, putting on a goalkeeper jersey that was too big for her. After the Reign'sRose Lavelle hit her free kick into Gotham's wall of players, the whistle blew for Gotham's victory 90 seconds later.[22][23] Gotham offered Nealy Martin goalkeeper jerseys for sale on her birthday the next year.[24]
Martin appeared in 24 games (21 starts) in the 2024 regular season as Gotham finished third in the standings.[25] She also started all 5 games in the2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, helping Gotham not concede until the final 2–0 loss to theKansas City Current.[26] In the 2024 playoffs, she played every minute as Gotham beat the Portland Thorns 2–1 before losing to theWashington Spirit on penalties after a 1–1 draw in the semifinals.[27]
Martin was called into camp with theUnited States national team in January 2025, her first national team call-up at any level.[28]
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Playoffs[b] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Racing Louisville FC | 2021 | NWSL | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2023 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 48 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 65 | 0 | ||
NJ/NY Gotham FC
Individual
