Gotham FC vs Utah Royals FC preview: Pushing for a win at home

Coming off their first win of the second half of the season against C.F. Monterrey Femenil on Wednesday, NJ/NY Gotham FC will return to NWSL play against Utah Royals FC. The Bats not only won this season's previous meeting in June but have also won all three meetings against Utah since the Royals' return to the NWSL in 2024. They have also done so convincingly, winning 3-0 and 4-1 in the previous two meetings.

This game is a great opportunity for Gotham to get a much-needed three points. After Angel City FC's win over the Orlando Pride on Thursday night, the LA side entered a three-way tie for the final playoff spot with Gotham and the North Carolina Courage on 20 points each. A win would not only create some space between those two teams, but it could also see them jump Racing Louisville FC for seventh if the other team drops points on Sunday.

For Utah, anything other than a loss will be viewed as a major positive. A team that many had pegged as a playoff contender thanks to their strong second half in 2024 and impressive offseason has had a disaster of a season. The team only has one win that came all the way back in April, and they sit at the bottom of the table with just seven points.

Hence, this is essentially a must-win match for the NJ/NY side, as a loss could see them drop out of a playoff spot for the first time in many months this season. Seven of the team's last nine matches are against current playoff teams, including an away game against the defending champions, the Orlando Pride, next Friday. So, here is a preview of Saturday's match between Gotham FC and the Utah Royals.

Gotham FC vs Utah Royals preview

Date

The fixture will be played on Saturday, August 23.

Time

The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM ET.

How to watch

The game will be broadcast on Ion.

Location

The match will be played at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.

Weather

The weather looks like it will be a big improvement on what was seen on Wednesday night. The temperature at kickoff is forecast to be 77 degrees with 45% humidity. Winds will be around 10-12 mph throughout the match with wind gusts reaching 20 mph. There is also a 0% chance of rain.

Injury report

Tierna Davidson (SEI – knee), Midge Purce (thigh), and Ella Stevens (knee) continue to be out for the Bats.

Players to watch

Gotham FC fans should watch Gabi Portilho. She could be primed for a breakout game after her assist against the Houston Dash and an impressive 30 minutes against Monterrey. It appears the forward is rounding into form after coming back from winning the Copa América Femenina with Brazil. It has been a bit of an up-and-down season for Portilho. From scoring in her debut to missing all of May and June due to injury, she seems to be back to full fitness now, and having her healthy could be a real game-changer for Gotham going into the second half of the season.

For Utah, Brecken Mozingo looks to finally be finding her form and is someone to watch. After many people considered her a reach as the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft, given her connections to Utah, she has slowly developed into a very effective player for the Royals. From scoring in three consecutive games in late May and early June to now consistently being one of the highest-rated players in recent games, Mozingo is now arguably Utah's biggest attacking threat after the club traded Ally Sentnor.

Prediction

Gotham FC will make it two wins in a row in all competitions with a 3-0 win over Utah. Goals will come from Esther González, Rose Lavelle, and Portilho. While similar things were said going into the game against Houston, this should be a pretty straightforward win for the Bats, and they should be able to secure the three points pretty easily.