Gotham FC vs C.F. Monterrey Femenil preview: Back home in the Champions Cup

Off the back of a cross-country flight and a quick turnaround time, NJ/NY Gotham FC will play in their second CONCACAF W Champions Cup game at home to Monterrey Femenil. Gotham is coming off of their second consecutive NWSL win on Monday night, beating Seattle Reign FC 2-0. The Bats are looking to secure their second win from two games in Champions Cup play after beating Costa Rican side LD Alajuelense 4-0 back on September 5. Meanwhile, Monterrey is coming off of a scoreless draw in league play to Tigres UANL Femenil, who had beaten them 4-0 on matchday one of Champions Cup play.

Despite their big loss in their first game, Monterrey bounced back with a 5-0 win over Jamaican side Frazsiers Whip Football Limited. This will be the Mexican side's third matchup against NWSL opponents this year. Back in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, Monterrey drew 2-2 but then lost on penalty kicks 5-4 to the Orlando Pride, and lost to the North Carolina Courage 3-0.

For Gotham, the goal is to keep on winning. They are currently in the midst of a three-game week with travel but, the hardest part is behind them. They managed to beat Seattle, the hardest of the three teams they will play this week and have done the necessary cross-country travel. These next two games are both at home which should help ease the short Thursday to Sunday turnaround between games.

This is a crucial game for Monterrey. A loss could see them as good as eliminated with the two teams at the top being the two teams who beat them, if Gotham manages to do so. There is still a little more wiggle room for the home team given their game in hand, but knowing the mentality of head coach Juan Carlos Amorós and Gotham FC as a whole, they will want to win all four of their group-stage matches. Here is a preview of Thursday's Champions Cup matchup.

Date

Gotham FC and C.F. Monterrey Femenil will play on Thursday, September 19.

Time

The match is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET.

Location

The game will be played at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

How to watch

The match will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

Weather

This looks to be a warmer-than-usual game for this time of year with the forecasted temperature at kickoff being 80 degrees with 47% humidity. Thankfully, no rain is expected throughout the game.

Injury report

CONCACAF rules do not require teams to file an official injury report prior to games. Therefore, Monday's injury report against Seattle will be utilized. Midge Purce (knee) and Abby Smith (lower leg) remain on the season-ending injury list. Svava Guðmundsdóttir (excused absence) will continue to be out while Yazmeen Ryan will miss this game after picking up a red card against Alajuelense.

The status of Sam Hiatt (foot), Maitane López (hip), Kelley O'Hara (excused absence), and Jéssica Silva (illness) remains unknown until lineups are announced roughly one hour before kickoff.

Players to watch

While Ella Stevens' substitution at halftime against Seattle was partly due to her not having the best 45 minutes, it was also done with an eye on this game. Expect Stevens back in the starting lineup and back on the scoresheet against Monterrey.

For Monterrey, Christina Burkenroad is their main offensive threat. She currently has four goals in nine games in Liga MX Femenil play and is averaging a little more than a goal every two games in her time with the club. If the team manages to score a goal in this game, then expect Burkenroad to be one of the big reasons why.

Prediction

Supporters should expect another big Gotham win against Monterrey with a score of 5-0 being the predicted scoreline. The goals will come from Lynn Williams, Crystal Dunn, Cece Kizer, and a brace from Ella Stevens. As was the case against Alajuelense, expect this game to be one of, if not the game that is the highest scoring and containing the largest margin of victory for Gotham FC so far this season.