Gotham FC vs Angel City FC preview: Time to celebrate Pride and hopefully a win

The NWSL is back this weekend, and NJ/NY Gotham FC will take on Angel City FC for a home matchup.  The team will be celebrating Pride on and off the pitch, so it should be a good game to attend.  Of course, it would be ideal to end the day with a win so the Bats can continue their climb up the table.

Thankfully, they are slowly starting to find themselves on the offensive end.  They have scored two goals in each of their last two games.  Angel City is a team where Gotham could put more than two goals into the back of the net.  Moreover, their defense has been superb this season.  Therefore, supporters should expect the away team’s chances to be limited. 

Additionally, Ann-Katrin Berger is not afraid to make the big saves.  Arguably, she has kept Gotham in some of the games, especially in San Diego.  There were concerns after the Bay FC match since she went down and needed treatment three times during the 90 minutes of play.  However, she had to be okay since she was available off the bench for Germany during the international break.

Let’s not wait any longer.  Here is a preview of the upcoming NWSL fixture between Gotham FC and Angel City FC.

Date

Gotham FC and Angel City FC will play on Saturday, June 8.

Time

The game is at 12:30 PM ET.

Location

The fixture is at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ.

How to watch

Fans can watch the game on CBS or Paramount+.

Weather

The Pride match will be partly cloudy and about 77 degrees.  It is unlikely for the weather to spoil the celebrations, for there is a 0% chance of rain.

Injury report

Midge Purce (knee) is out for the year.  Abby Smith (lower leg) and Taylor Smith (thigh) are on the season-ending injury list at this time. In addition, Kristen Edmonds (knee), Svava Guðmundsdóttir (excused absence), Kelley O'Hara (knee), and Lynn Williams (lower leg) are all out.

Sadly, Sinead Farrelly has been added to the season-ending injury list due to post-concussive syndrome. Per Gotham FC, she was advised to "cease playing soccer due to the cumulative head injuries that she has sustained throughout her career". As a result, she has announced her retirement, effective immediately. She will still be a part of the club this season, but due to her retirement, Skyscraper Blues will not include her on future injury reports.

Meanwhile, there is some good news. McCall Zerboni will be available for the first time this season and is officially off the season-ending injury list.

Players to watch

With the announcement of Williams' injury, Gotham FC fans should watch Rose Lavelle. The midfielder had a great international break with the USWNT, assisting in the first game. She continues to get closer and closer to perfect health. As such, she should make more of an impact on matches.

Supporters should also watch Claire Emslie on Angel City.  The forward will be the biggest threat on the California side, for she has five goals this season.  It will be interesting to see how the Gotham defense slows her down and limits her chances.

Prediction

This is a game where Gotham FC can easily beat Angel City FC.  Of course, they have to still play their best football.  The prediction for this fixture is that they win 3-0.  It was thought Williams would make a major difference in the match. Since she is out, fans should expect Ella Stevens to take over as she did against Bay FC.

Note: This piece was updated to reflect the injury report that was released later on and Williams' injury.