NJ/NY Gotham FC knows they need to win their final match of the group round of the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. It can be a win in regulation or a penalty kick shootout; both options will see them finish in first place in Group D. Whether they move on and play in the semifinals is another question. As of today, based on goal differential, two points would not be enough.
Ideally, the Bats would beat C.D. Guadalajara Femenil, or Chivas, and take all three points. Group E’s winner can only finish with a max of seven points while Gotham can earn eight. They control their destiny.
However, the issue at hand is the lack of scoring. The Chicago Red Stars match ended in a 0-0 draw before going into the penalty kick shootout while the lone goal against the Washington Spirit came from a penalty kick taken by Yazmeen Ryan. The ladies who are not in Paris right now must step up on the goal-scoring end. Otherwise, the Summer Cup journey will come to a close.
The pressure is on for Gotham FC to come away with all three points. Here is a preview of the game against C.D. Guadalajara Femenil.
Date
Gotham FC and C.D. Guadalajara Femenil will face off on Friday, August 2.
Time
The game is at 8:00 PM ET.
Location
The match will occur at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ.
How to watch
Fans can watch the fixture on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+.
Weather
While it will be around 90 degrees in Harrison during the day, the temperature will drop to around 82 degrees at kickoff. There is over a 60% chance of rain and there could be thunderstorms as well. Fans will hope that the weather does not cause delays.
Injury Report
Midge Purce (knee) is out for the year while Abby Smith (lower leg) remains on the season-ending injury list (lower leg).
Mandy Freeman (ankle), Esther González (foot), Svava Guðmundsdóttir (excused absence), and Kelley O'Hara (knee) are out for Friday's game.
Additionally, Ann-Katrin Berger, Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn, Rose Lavelle, Jenna Nighswonger, Emily Sonnett, and Lynn Williams are away with their national teams at the Olympics. The USWNT and Germany will play their games on Saturday.
Players to watch
Gotham FC fans should watch Ella Stevens. The player is due for a goal, for she has not scored since June 15. This would be the perfect match to find the back of the net as well. The Bats need someone to be a hero, so will Stevens be that person?
On Chivas, supporters should watch Alicia Cervantes. The forward is a goal-scoring machine and has over 100 goals since joining her club in 2020. Gotham must do everything they can to ensure she cannot score. She already scored in the match against the Spirit, so she is not afraid of NWSL teams.
Prediction
Chivas is a talented team, so Gotham FC will need to score to earn a win. Since they will be home at Red Bull Arena, the prediction is that the Bats will win 1-0. The ladies will finally have a goal from open play in the Summer Cup and will perform well defensively to keep the Mexican side out of goal.