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Gotham FC vs Washington Spirit preview: East Coast rivals clash in Pennsylvania

  • This is the third time Gotham FC and Washington will meet this year
  • The Spirit has won the two previous meetings this season
  • Here is a preview of their next match
ByMichael Cardamone|
Gotham FC
Gotham FC | Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports

Following a win on penalty kicks in their Summer Cup opener against the Chicago Red Stars, NJ/NY Gotham FC meet the Washington Spirit in a neutral site game at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. The Spirit are coming off a 2-1 win over Liga MX Femenil side C.D. Guadalajara Femenil, also known as Chivas, in last Sunday's game.

Looking at the group standings, Washington is currently at the top of the group on a goal differential tiebreaker over Chivas who with a win on Friday night over Chicago currently sit second. Gotham then follows in third with the Red Stars bringing up the rear. Of note, Chivas and Chicago currently have two games played while the Spirit and Bats sit on one.

Perhaps the most intriguing storyline leading into this game is the potential debut of Gotham FC's newest signing, 14-year-old Mak Whitham. Whitham was signed for the rest of the Summer Cup as a National Team Replacement Player on Friday. She will join the Bats on a full-time contract on January 1, 2025. Whitham, who signed at 13 but turned 14 on Saturday, would break the record for the youngest player in North American sports history at 14 years and 1 day old if she does make her way into Sunday's game. This would beat the recent record set by Philadelphia Union's Cavan Sullivan.

Gotham FC have not had much luck this season against Washington with them losing both matchups this year by a score of 2-0 including their most recent meeting on June 23rd. Let's take a look at the preview of the match against Washington.

Date

Gotham FC and Washington Spirit will play on Sunday, July 28th.

Time

The match is scheduled for kickoff at 6:00 PM.

Location

The game is set to be played at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.

How to watch

The game can be watched on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Weather

Temperature at kickoff is predicted to be 86 degrees at 40% humidity and about 50% cloud cover.

Injury Report

Midge Purce (knee) is out for the year while Abby Smith is still on the season-ending injury list (lower leg).

Esther González (foot), Svava Guðmundsdóttir (excused absence), Kelley O'Hara (knee), and Taryn Torres (thigh) remain unavailable while Maitane López is out due to her red card suspension.

In addition, 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.

Players to watch

Other than Whitham for Gotham, keep an eye on Maycee Bell. With Maitane López serving her suspension from her red card against Chicago, fans could see Bell play as a center-back for the first time this season. The significant reason is that if she proves she can hold her own in that position, she could end up being the long-term partner of Tierna Davidson at center-back.

For Washington, fans should watch Brittany Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe grew up in South Jersey and is a Philadelphia Union fan. And while she was able to play at the Union's home stadium last Sunday, expect her motivation levels to play well will still most likely be at an all-time high.

Prediction

While things haven't gone Gotham's way in their two meetings with Washington earlier this season, The Bats will exercise their Spirit demons and pick up a 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Katie Stengel.

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