NJ/NY Gotham FC will make their first West Coast trip of 2026 as they visit Seattle Reign FC. While Gotham's three-match winning streak came to an end last weekend against Boston Legacy FC, their unbeaten streak was extended to four by virtue of the 1-1 draw. The Bats currently sit in fifth place in the league table. Barring a crazy goal differential swing of eight between themselves and the Kansas City Current, Gotham will stay in fifth entering the CONCACAF W Champions Cup knockout stage.
As mentioned earlier, Gotham is entering the match in good form. Not only are they unbeaten in their last four games, but their performances back up the results. And they have managed to do this despite missing as many as five defenders due to injury and thus having to play wingers Guro Reiten and Midge Purce as fullbacks. Not only have they found their goalscoring touch during this streak, but they've only conceded one goal in these four games as well.
Plus, the NJ/NY side can take advantage of Seattle. The team started strong, winning three of their first four fixtures. Things have gone downhill since with just two points and zero goals from their last four, three of which were at home. Goalscoring challenges are not uncommon, as they were the lowest scoring playoff team in 2025 and the fourth lowest scorers in the league in 2024.
One change from past seasons for this game in Seattle is that it will be played on grass instead of turf. Lumen Field is one of the host cities for this summer's Men's World Cup, and FIFA requires all venues to have grass fields. So, at least for this season, gone is the turf and in its place is somewhat freshly laid grass from back in March. Here is a preview of Gotham FC's game against the Seattle Reign.
Gotham FC vs Seattle Reign preview
Date
The fixture will be played on Friday, May 15.
Time
The match is scheduled to begin at 10:00 PM, 7:00 PM local.
Location
The game will be played at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.
How to watch
The fixture will be streamed on Victory+.
Weather
There is a high chance of rain during the day and a 40% chance during the match. It looks like the rain could go either way. Temperatures will hover around 50 degrees with winds around 10 mph, and gusts could reach 20+ mph. Humidity will be high, hovering around 75-80%. Sunset is scheduled for 8:39 PM local time, which should fall around the midway point of the second half.
Injury report
There is no change to the injury report from last week. Bruninha (hamstring), Kayla Duran (knee - SEI), Mandy Freeman (lower leg), Rose Lavelle (hamstring), and Taryn Torres (knee - SEI) remain out for the Bats.
Players to watch
So far this season, it seems like Gotham has been at their best with Jaedyn Shaw on the field, making her one to watch. The attacker has already surpassed her goal contribution tally from her half-season with the Bats in 2025, despite playing four fewer games in 2026. She has scored in the last two games, with her last goal being the first she's ever scored at Sports Illustrated Stadium as a Gotham player.
For Seattle, Sofia Huerta is still a big part of this team's potential success, and she is someone to watch. The league's all-time assist leader, Huerta, contributes in all phases of the game from the right-back position. She leads the team in big chances created so far this season and will be an important part of this team if they want to get back on the scoresheet for the first time in over four games.
Prediction
The NJ/NY side will not only continue their unbeaten run, but they will get back in the win column with a 1-0 win with Shaw scoring her third goal in three games. While Seattle has not been firing offensively, they have been strong defensively with just eight goals conceded this season, fourth best in the league. So, regardless of the result, expect this game to be a bit of a slog from an attacking point of view, as Gotham FC has the best defensive record with just five goals conceded.
