Gotham FC vs Orlando Pride preview: Thank you, Kelley O'Hara

Before the team celebrates a legend, NJ/NY Gotham FC will host the 2024 Shield-winning Orlando Pride. This will be the Bats' final home game of the regular season before they host a quarterfinal playoff match. While they do have that home playoff game clinched, seeding for second place to fourth is still wide-open amongst Gotham, the Washington Spirit, and the Kansas City Current.

This game is not only important for seeding but it is also a good litmus test heading into the playoffs. While Orlando will more than likely rest some of their starters as they did last week against Portland Thorns FC, they will more than likely do more to prevent them from losing as they did last week. That will be tricky though as Gotham FC will be without head coach Juan Carlos Amorós due a to red card suspension. Both of their starting center-backs Emily Sonnett and Tierna Davidson will also be missing due to yellow card accumulation and a leg injury respectively. This is also an opportunity for the Bats to avenge their 2-0 loss in their last meeting with the Pride in Orlando.

For Orlando, they will try to find the right balance heading into the playoffs. After their 2-0 loss to the Thorns last week they'll do what they can to prevent the start of a losing streak so close to the postseason. At the same time, they will want to prevent injuries to their top players by placing them on a minutes limit.

The main story from this game is the celebration of Kelley O'Hara's career before and after the match. Unfortunately for O'Hara, her playing career came to a premature end as she was placed on the season-ending injury list on September 21. So while it won't be the ending she was looking for on the field, an NWSL championship is still possible for the two-time World Cup winner and 2012 Olympic Gold medalist, which would be her third in four years with Gotham and Washington. Here is a preview of Sunday's match.

Date

Gotham FC will host the Orlando Pride on Sunday, October 20.

Time

The match is scheduled to kick off at 5:00 PM ET.

Location

The match will be played at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

How to watch

The match will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and streamed on ESPN+.

Weather

At 75 degrees at kickoff, this match will be unseasonably warm for mid-October. Humidity will be low at 25% and there is a 0% chance of rain throughout the game.

Injury report

Kelley O'Hara (knee), Midge Purce (knee), and Abby Smith (lower leg) are all on the season-ending injury list.

Unfortunately, the injury list has grown. Davidson (thigh), Crystal Dunn (excused absence), Svava Guðmundsdóttir (excused absence), Cece Kizer (foot), Jéssica Silva (knee), and Sonnett (suspension) are all out for the Orlando fixture.

Players to watch

A player in white-hot form for Gotham is Esther González. With four goals and an assist in her last three matches in all competitions, Esther is rounding into form at just the right time in the season and is finally starting to show why Gotham went through so much effort to bring her to New Jersey.

For Orlando, it will be tough to give an exact answer as it is unclear how many players head coach Seb Hines will be resting this weekend. With that being said though, expect Anna Moorhouse in goal once again. Moorhouse is having one of the best goalkeeping seasons in NWSL history with 13 clean sheets, five more than any other goalkeeper in the league.

Prediction

This will be another hard-fought, close game regardless of the final score. A 1-1 draw sounds right with two players breaking long goalless droughts. Ella Stevens will get her first goal in seven NWSL games for Gotham, and Summer Yates will score her first in eight NWSL games for Orlando.