Gotham FC vs Orlando Pride preview: Trying to spoil the Pride party

Following a successful return to league play via a 2-0 win over Portland Thorns FC, NJ/NY Gotham FC will travel to Orlando to take on the still-unbeaten Orlando Pride. This is the first time these two teams play this season and the first time they've met in over a year. They will again meet later this year at Red Bull Arena for the second to last game of the season.

In contrast to the season of inconsistency of last week's opponent in Portland, Orlando has been nothing but consistent, having yet to lose a game this season. They are currently on a four-match winning streak in league play having outscored their opponents 12-1 in that stretch. They hold the record for the longest unbeaten run to begin a season and look as good as any team in league history.

As for Gotham FC, the approach to this game is quite interesting. They got some help on Friday night when Bay FC beat the Portland Thorns 3-1. This loss means that Gotham cannot lose any ground to Portland, who are just behind them in the standings and will at minimum come out of the weekend with at least a seven-point gap in the race for a home playoff game. This safety net could mean Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós might be more willing to push the envelope a little bit more and try to go toe-to-toe with the league leaders to get THE statement win of the NWSL season.

Things are shaping up to this being one of the games of the season for Gotham FC. Here is a preview of this match of the season candidate.

Date

Gotham FC and the Orlando Pride will face off on Sunday, September 1.

Time

The game is scheduled to kick off at 6:00 PM ET.

Location

The match will take place at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

How to watch

The match will be streamed on NWSL+ and can be viewed on TV via MSGN.

Weather

The weather is looking a little iffy. It is forecasted to be 84 degrees with a feels-like temperature of 92 at kickoff thanks to 70% humidity. There is also a 58% chance of rain that will remain throughout the course of the game but will go down as the 90 minutes are played.

Injury Report

Midge Purce (knee) and Abby Smith (lower leg) remain on the season-ending injury list.

Svava Guðmundsdóttir (excused absence), Sam Hiatt (foot), Maitane López (hip), and Lynn Williams (lower leg) are not available for Sunday's fixture.

Players to watch

Following an impactful substitute appearance last weekend against Portland, look for Rose Lavelle to again have an impact on the game, this time though from the start. She has provided a goal or an assist in five of her last seven Gotham FC appearances including the previous three matches in a row. While the Bats have proven to be more than good enough without her in the lineup, a player like Lavelle gives Gotham just enough going forward to make them a threat to win every game.

While the obvious answer for Orlando is MVP front-runner Barbra Banda, keep an eye on Summer Yates as well. Yates has proven to be a real developmental success story having gone from a 2023 fourth-round pick to a consistent starter. She is the Pride's second-leading goal scorer on the season. While Banda has, rightfully, garnered the vast majority of the headlines, Yates has provided Orlando with the secondary scoring they've needed to go from a good team to a great team.

Prediction

The possible results for this game seem to be endless. The possibility of a big win either way is realistic. The same goes for a draw. A 2-2 result seems like a likely outcome. Gotham FC goals will come from Lavelle and Ella Stevens while Banda will score two to retake the lead in the Golden Boot race.