3 things we learned from Gotham FC's 4-1 loss to Portland Thorns FC

After two impressive wins against the North Carolina Courage and Angel City FC, NJ/NY Gotham FC was given a tough dose of reality, losing 4-1 to Portland Thorns FC. This loss prevented the Bats from earning their third win in a row and puts even more emphasis on their match on Saturday against the Washington Spirit.

The match started with two quick goals when Portland's Marie-Yasmine Alidou scored in the seventh minute. This was quickly followed by Esther González's fifth goal in three games to tie the match. Portland then broke the tie in the 61st minute when Caiya Hanks, who was easily the best player, gave the Thorns a 2-1 lead. Things spiraled for Gotham from that point on when sloppy play saw them concede a penalty kick 12 minutes later, which Portland converted. The Thorns then put the game to bed just seven minutes later when Deyna Castellanos made it 4-1, which ended up being the final score.

It was a disappointing follow-up to their 4-0 win over Angel City on Friday night. It was not just the fact that they lost, but the fact that this performance, especially in the second half, was a complete 180 from how they played on Friday night. Everything looked sloppy, out of sync, and disjointed. The quick turnaround between games could be a factor. Still, playing in Portland is never easy, but it might have just been one of those nights where things did not work out.

Whatever way one slices it, this loss provided plenty of talking points. Here are three things we learned from Gotham FC's 4-1 loss to the Portland Thorns.

3 things we learned from Gotham FC's 4-1 loss to the Thorns

3. The injuries on the backline are a problem for Gotham

While the injury probably (hopefully) isn't that serious, having Mandy Freeman unavailable for both of these games has affected how this team performs defensively. Nealy Martin did an admirable job filling in for her against Angel City, but struggled at times against Portland. This, combined with Juan Carlos Amorós seemingly now seeing Bruninha as being more effective in a more attacking role and Tierna Davidson being out for the season, has left a huge hole in that right-back spot.

The sooner Freeman comes back, the better, but even then, the Bats probably need to acquire one, if not two, defenders sooner rather than later. With the ratification of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams are now able to make trades, with player consent, at any point before the roster freeze in October. And while Gotham would probably like to make a trade for another defender as soon as tomorrow, it takes two to tango, and other teams probably want to be more patient.

2. Gotham FC may not be as consistent as last year

While the two wins before the loss to Portland show that this team's peak performance level is not far off last year's team that broke multiple single-season club records, Gotham FC might not be able to reach that peak as consistently. Given the amount of roster turnover and the fact that this team has a lot more young players than last year, a lack of consistency, especially early in the season, is understandable.

These growing pains, combined with a difficult slate of games given the opposition and the packed schedule, may exaggerate things ever so slightly. With that being said, it does seem like Gotham may not be able to keep pace with last season's powerhouses like the Orlando Pride, Kansas City Current, and Washington, who have all seemingly not skipped a beat from last season to this. The NJ/NY side might be a little closer to the mushy middle, which has a lot of teams in it and could see teams fourth to tenth in the standings separated by just a few points.

1. It is a marathon, not a sprint

"We lost the battle tonight, but this is a long war." Those were the words from Amorós' press conference after the game. And he is right. There are still 20 games left in the regular season, and Gotham is still in a decent position, albeit with one more game played than everyone else for the next month. They must start picking up more points, though, in their next games.

After their next match against Washington, they have three of their next four at home, with two of those four against Chicago Stars FC and Racing Louisville FC, two of the bottom three teams in the standings. Those are prime opportunities to pick up three points and make up for some of Gotham FC's dropped points from their first few games.