Gotham FC vs Washington Spirit preview: The champs go down to D.C.

For the first time since 2009 in the first year of WPS, two pro women's soccer teams from Washington D.C. and the New York/New Jersey area will meet in a playoff game. NJ/NY Gotham FC will travel down to D.C. to take on the Washington Spirit. Both teams had late game-winners in their respective quarterfinal matchups. Rose Lavelle played hero for Gotham with her late goal against Portland Thorns FC in the seventh minute of stoppage time. At the same time, the Spirit's game-winner came in the sixth minute of extra time thanks to an own-goal that came off of Bay FC, and former Spirit defender, Caprice Dydasco.

Meanwhile, Washington has been the Bats' kryptonite in an otherwise great season. They lost to the Spirit by 2-0 scorelines at home and away. And while Gotham did get a 1-0 win over Washington in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, that was with both teams missing some of their starters to the Olympics.

Those losses do come with some important context. The first loss was all the way back in April when Gotham was in the middle of a slow start to the season. The second came at the end of a three-game week in June while Washington had more rest. This match is much more even in that regard with both teams on equal rest as well as equally great form. Plus, the two sides have had recent successes and failures. Gotham FC were champions in 2023 and Washington in 2021, but sandwiched between those triumphs was a 2022 season that saw both teams finish in the bottom two spots in the league.

Now, Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit will meet with a place in the championship game on the line and have a chance to become the fourth team in league history with multiple championships to their name. Here is the preview of the NWSL Playoffs semifinals.

Date

Gotham FC will visit the Washington Spirit on Saturday, November 16.

Time

The match is scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM EST.

How to watch

The fixture will be broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.

Location

The game will be played in Washington D.C. at Audi Field.

Weather

A sunny but cool day is expected with the temperature around 58 degrees at kickoff and wind gusts reaching 25 mph at times. Only 15% cloud cover is expected with humidity at 50%. There is a 0% chance of rain throughout the match.

Injury report

Kelley O'Hara (knee) and Midge Purce (knee) remain out on the season-ending injury list. In addition, Crystal Dunn and Svava Guðmundsdóttir remain out as well with excused absences. The good news for Gotham is that Cece Kizer (foot) comes off the injury report after not having played since October 12. Tierna Davidson (thigh) and Delanie Sheehan (lower leg) are also completely off the report after being listed as questionable for last week's match.

Players to watch

Despite not starting on Sunday against the Portland Thorns, Sheehan made a near-immediate impact after coming on as a sub in the 90th minute and assisting on the game-winning goal just seven minutes later. Sheehan has long been one of Gotham's and the NWSL's, most underrated players. This was only the second time in NWSL play that she has not started all season, placing her second on the team in league minutes. And while she doesn't put up big numbers in the goals and assists category, it is very clear that this team performs better with her than without her.

For Washington, Tara McKeown has slowly become one of the best defenders in the NWSL. Originally a forward, hence the oddity of seeing a centerback wearing the traditional striker's number 9, McKeown has made a seamless transition to the Washington backline with her 2024 season earning her a nomination for the league's Defender of the Year award. However, she showed that forward's instinct with her fantastic equalizer against Bay FC, part of a Player of the Match performance last weekend. If Washington were to keep Gotham off the scoresheet, McKeown would be a big reason as to why.

Prediction

This is probably the toughest game to predict this year. Both teams are incredibly evenly matched and can provide as many reasons as to why either should emerge as winners. Ultimately, Gotham FC seems to have the slight edge thanks in part to their more favorable injury situation. A 2-1 win by the Bats with goals from Ella Stevens and Yazmeen Ryan from the victors, and an Ashley Hatch goal for the Spirit is the prediction. Whichever way this game goes, expect it to be close with the winning margin being one goal at most.