When forward Sh’Nia Gordon arrived in Louisville last month, she arrived without most of her possessions. Most of her things remain in Moscow without a way to retrieve them and not “get stuck” in Russia.
In an interview with the Courier Journal’s Jonathan Saxon, Gordon shared her experiences leaving Russian club CSKA Moscow amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine to join Racing Louisville FC.
“At the time, we were in Turkey,” Gordon said. “I wasn’t in Russia, but I felt like I was just focused on my training. As time went on and we had to go back to Russia, then I started thinking about what I should do. As it was happening, I was just thinking about soccer.”
When the war began, FIFA allowed foreign players playing in Russia to void their contracts without penalty. This opened the door for Gordon to leave Moscow, return to the U.S. and join Racing.
“I’m happy I’m safe,” Gordon told the Courier Journal. “And I’m happy I’m back in America. It’s just very unfortunate all of this happened. But I’m just happy that I’m safe.”
Since arriving, Gordon has featured twice for Louisville, including 26 minutes in the club’s draw against the Chicago Red Stars.
