Following a trip to forget in Mexico, NJ/NY Gotham FC will return to NWSL play at home against the Houston Dash. This will be the last game for both teams before the league goes on break for the month of June due to the Men's World Cup here in North America.
The match provides Gotham FC a great opportunity to end this part of the season on a positive note after the disaster that was their CONCACAF W Champions Cup performance. They are still on a five-game unbeaten run in NWSL play, and a win on Sunday will ensure their spot in the top five in the table with one or even two games in hand on some of the teams ahead of them.
The Bats will play a Houston side that has struggled. They got off to a great start, winning three of their first four games. But they went seven weeks before getting win number four, a 2-1 victory over Angel City FC last week. It looked like the Dash had finally turned a corner, but they seem to be following a story similar to most other seasons in Houston, with them currently sitting in 11th place.
Both teams will see this game as a must-win, but for different reasons. For Gotham FC, it is to help put their CONCACAF disappointments behind them, while for Houston, they need a win to help them keep in touch with the teams above them. Here is a preview of Sunday's matchup.
Gotham FC vs Houston Dash preview
Date
The fixture will be played on Sunday, May 31.
Time
The match is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM ET.
Location
The game will be played at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.
How to watch
The fixture will be streamed on the ESPN app via ESPN+ in English. It will also be on ESPN Deportes in Spanish.
Weather
The weather looks as close to perfect on Sunday afternoon with temperatures in the mid-70s throughout the course of the match. Humidity will be low at around 25%, cloud cover around 75%, and winds around 10 mph with gusts reaching 20 mph. There is also a 0% chance of rain for the entirety of the game.
Injury report
The following players are out for Sunday’s match: Ann-Katrin Berger (Abdomen), Bruninha (hamstring), Kayla Duran (knee - SEI), Mandy Freeman (lower leg), and Taryn Torres (knee - SEI). Rose Lavelle is available.
Players to watch
For Gotham, Jaedyn Shaw is the one to watch. The 21-year-old has a goal in each of her last three NWSL games and five goal contributions in her last six league matches. It's not unfair to say Shaw has been the NJ/NY team's best attacker so far this season, and it seems like as she goes, Gotham's attack tends to follow.
For Houston, rookie Kat Rader has been the standout in a stacked rookie class for the Dash, making her one to watch. The 21-year-old has four goals and an assist this season, including a goal in each of her last two games. With the early-season trade of Yazmeen Ryan and Delanie Sheehan to Denver Summit FC, it has forced these rookies into a bigger role than initially expected, and Rader is thriving so far.
Prediction
It will be back to winning ways for Gotham as they will take care of Houston by a score of 2-1. Goals for the home team will come from Shaw and rookie Jordynn Dudley, while Rader will score Houston's one and only goal, extending her goal-scoring streak to three games.
