Gotham FC vs Utah Royals FC preview: The fight for playoff seeding

Following an international break that saw Yazmeen Ryan and Rose Lavelle celebrate their first and 100th USWNT caps respectively, NJ/NY Gotham FC returns to NWSL action in their final game of the regular season against Utah Royals FC. Gotham had the upper hand in their matchup earlier this season in New Jersey, coming away with a 1-0 victory back in September that confirmed their spot in this year's playoffs. This will be the Bats' first visit to Utah since the 2020 Challenge Cup, and their first away match against the Royals since June 2019.

While Gotham has had a home playoff game locked up for some time now, their final spot in the standings is still up in the air. The NJ/NY team currently sits in third behind the Washington Spirit with both teams on 53 points but the team from the US Capital owns the first tiebreaker thanks to their better goal differential. The Kansas City Current sits in fourth place, just one point behind Gotham and Washington.

While there are many different permutations that could see Gotham jump the Spirit in the standings, which can be found here, a win on Friday gives them their best shot. While they will most likely need Washington to drop points away to the North Carolina Courage for the swap to happen, a win will at least guarantee their spot in third regardless of what Washington and Kansas City do in their matches.

So while Utah has nothing to play for from a playoff perspective, this will not be an easy matchup for Gotham FC as the Royals will do what they can to try and end their first season back in NWSL on a high to try and carry that momentum into 2025. Here is a preview of this regular season finale match.

Date

Gotham FC will visit the Utah Royals on Friday, November 1.

Time

The match is scheduled for a kickoff at 9:30 PM ET, 7:30 PM MT.

How to watch

The game will be streamed on NWSL+.

Location

The fixture will be played at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.

Weather

It will be a cool night in Utah with temperatures in the mid-40s throughout the match. There will also be 5 mph winds and 40% humidity forecasted with a 0% chance of rain throughout the night.

Injury Report

Gotham FC will be without Kelley O'Hara (knee) and Midge Purce (knee) since they are on the season-ending injury list.

Then, Tierna Davidson (thigh), Crystal Dunn (excused absence), Svava Guðmundsdóttir (excused absence), Cece Kizer (foot), and Jéssica Silva (knee) are unavailable for the final game. Taryn Torres (thigh) is questionable.

Players to watch

Fans should watch Gotham FC's Ryan carry on the momentum from her first two USWNT caps during the international break into this game against Utah. The forward has put together by far her best season to date with eight goals and eight assists in 32 matches in all competitions this season. This the one and only Gotham goal in their home win over Utah earlier this season. Those 16-goal contributions are four more than she's had in her first three NWSL seasons combined.

For Utah, watch out for Ally Sentnor. With Cloé Lacasse out due to injury, Sentnor becomes Utah's most potent offensive player. The 20-year-old rookie has five goals and five assists in 22 matches in all competitions for Utah this season. In addition to her club exploits, she has had a strong season internationally playing for the United States U-20 team. This includes captaining the US to a third-place finish at this summer's U-20 World Cup where she scored three goals in seven matches, good enough for the Bronze Ball as the tournament's third-best player.

Prediction

Despite Utah's best efforts to end the season with a win, Gotham FC will prove to be too strong for them and come away with a 2-0 victory. Goals from Ryan and Lynn Williams will see the Bats end their season with a win and hopefully a second-place finish as well.