Gotham FC vs Alianza Women FC preview: Keeping the momentum going

After arguably their most important win of 2025 over the Orlando Pride, NJ/NY Gotham FC will return to CONCACAF W Champions Cup play as they travel to El Salvador to take on Alianza Women FC. This will be the two teams' second match in this year's competition, and the first-ever competitive meeting between the two clubs.

This is a great opportunity for Gotham FC to carry on the momentum gained from their win over Orlando. A win on Tuesday will see them extend their unbeaten run to four games in all competitions and start their group stage with two consecutive wins. Fans should also expect a fair amount of rotation similar to what was seen in their match against C.F. Monterrey Femenil two weeks ago.

The Bats also need to take advantage of Alianza, for this is their second extremely difficult matchup in a row. Their group stage opener was against the Washington Spirit, who managed a 7-0 win over the El Salvadorian champions. The expectations for this club are relatively low, with the chances of progressing to the knockout rounds being incredibly small. This is still a big deal for the club, as this is the first time they have made the competition after losing in the preliminary round of last year's tournament. Just being in this competition can be viewed as a win for the club.

Meanwhile, it will be an interesting game to watch in terms of who ends up playing for Gotham. Between this being a mid-week matchup, the large amount of travel to El Salvador, and the quality of opponent, it would not be shocking to see an entirely different Starting XI compared to what they started on Friday. Here is a preview of Tuesday's match.

Gotham FC vs Alianza Preview

Date

The fixture will be played on Tuesday, September 2.

Time

The match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 PM ET.

How to watch

The game will be streamed on Paramount+.

Location

The match will be played at Estadio Las Delicias in Santa Tecla, El Salvador.

Weather

Temperatures will be in the low 70s throughout the match, with around 90% humidity. There is also a slight chance of rain around kickoff, but it should be mostly cloudy throughout the rest of the game.

Injury report

CONCACAF rules do not require teams to release an injury report before a game. The only information available is the injury report from before Friday's game against Orlando, which will be listed below.

Tierna Davidson (SEI – knee) and Ella Stevens (knee) were both listed as "out" for Friday's match. In addition, there are minor worries about both Rose Lavelle and Jaelin Howell, although neither player is expected to prominently feature on Tuesday regardless of injury status.

Players to watch

For Gotham, expect Sarah Schupansky to start and play a big role on Tuesday after not featuring in Friday's win. The rookie forward is in a three-way tie for the NWSL lead in assists and is currently one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year.

Information about Alianza is pretty hard to come by, given the low profile of the El Salvadorian league relative to leagues in Mexico and other countries in this competition. One player for Alianza who does have international experience is Paola Calderón. The 23-year-old has 11 caps for El Salvador and started and played the full 90 minutes in their group stage opener against Washington. If there is a player who could get Alianza on the scoresheet, then it might be Calderón.

Prediction

This is a game that could get out of hand pretty quickly. The prediction is 8-0 for Gotham. Expect players like Schupansky, Taryn Torres, Midge Purce, Sofia Cook, and maybe even Mak Whitham to factor into the goals on Tuesday night. While the score line may not end up having that large a gap between the two clubs, this should still be a pretty comfortable win for Gotham FC.