Gotham FC vs Portland Thorns FC preview: The road to Kansas City begins here

After the longest season in NWSL history, the field has been narrowed down from 14 teams to eight who have qualified for the NWSL Playoffs. NJ/NY Gotham FC comes into the playoffs off of a club record-breaking regular season that saw new benchmarks set. This includes wins, points, the fewest number of losses, and attendance. Their opponent, Portland Thorns FC, will travel cross-country to New Jersey in a rematch of last season's semifinal matchup that saw the Bats win 1-0 on their way to last season's championship win. Gotham is currently on a three-match winning streak over Portland.

The NJ/NY team enters the playoffs playing their best soccer of the season. They have won their last four NWSL games, three of which were against other playoff teams including the Shield-winning Orlando Pride, by a combined score of 14-3. This is not only representative of the excellent defensive performance seen all season that has resulted in a tie for the fewest goals conceded at 20, but it is also by far their best run of games from an attacking perspective as well.

Ever since their 13-0 win over Frazsiers Whip FC in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup at the beginning of October, the attacking output has reached a level not seen since Sam Kerr set goal-scoring records seven years ago. If Gotham FC can carry this level of attacking play going forward, then repeating as champions becomes a lot easier.

The home team is the overwhelming favorite but the Thorns should not be underestimated going into Sunday. Plus, Christine Sinclair is retiring, which might increase Portland's desire to win. So, here is a preview of the quarterfinals between Gotham FC and Portland Thorns FC.

Date

Gotham FC will host the Portland Thorns on Sunday November, 10.

Time

The match is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM EST.

How to watch

The game will be broadcast on ABC and streamed on ESPN+.

Location

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

Weather

It looks to be a cool, gloomy day for Sunday's game. It will be 60 degrees at kickoff with heavy cloud cover and wind gusts reaching 20 mph. Humidity will be around 40% and there is a 0% chance of rain throughout the game.

Injury report

Kelley O'Hara (knee) and Midge Purce (knee) continue to be out since they are on the season-ending injury list. In addition, Crystal Dunn (excused absence), Svava Guðmundsdóttir (excused absence), and Cece Kizer (foot) are all out for Sunday. Tierna Davidson (thigh) and Delanie Sheehan (lower leg) are questionable.

Players to watch

After a disappointing start to the season filled with injuries and an absence from the scoresheet, Esther González has been on fire since the return from the Olympic break. She has seven goals and two assists in 725 minutes post-Olympics, good enough for a goal contribution every 80.5 minutes. This late-season surge saw her finish the Golden Boot race in fifth place. Her performances these last few games feel like the player Gotham signed after last season's World Cup has finally arrived in New Jersey.

For Portland, Sophia Smith being in goal-scoring form will be crucial if the Thorns want to go on a run this postseason. After a strong Olympic performance, things have been a struggle for Smith. Not only does she have just two goals in five games, but she's also missed a fair amount of matches due to injury. Notably, she missed Portland's last trip to New Jersey that saw the Thorns fall 2-0 back in August. And while there were more factors than just missing Smith that led to that loss, her absence was most definitely felt.

Prediction

The Bats will extend their win streak over Portland to four games including back-to-back years in the playoffs with a 2-0 victory. Goals will come courtesy of González and Rose Lavelle. This will put Gotham into the semifinals against the winner of the Washington Spirit vs Bay FC game earlier in the day. If Washington were to win, then the game would be at Audi Field in D.C., but if Bay can pull off the upset, then Gotham FC will see a second consecutive playoff game at Red Bull Arena.