Gotham FC vs Utah Royals preview: Getting off the schneid in the Rocky Mountains | OneFootball

After suffering their third successive loss in NWSL play at the hands of the Kansas City Current, as well as the referee, some might say, NJ/NY Gotham FC will gear up for their last road game before the summer break against Utah Royals FC. While the Bats are desperate for a win, Utah might be even more desperate. They are winless in their last six games, which includes five losses. They also only have one win on the season.

Despite this run of poor results, there have been some pieces of good news for Gotham in the past week. Firstly was the return of Rose Lavelle against Kansas City. Lavelle had missed the first 10 games of the NWSL season due to offseason surgery before returning as a sub last Saturday. Second, Gotham signed Danish international Josefine Hasbo after a four-year career at Harvard University. The midfielder should have no trouble getting up to speed in the pro game as she already has 32 caps with the Danish National Team, including four appearances at the 2023 World Cup.

For Utah, anything less than a win on Friday could potentially end their hopes of making the playoffs. As mentioned earlier, this season has been a disaster for them. This comes as a major surprise to many. Their strong form from the end of last season, their impressive acquisition of talent in the offseason, and the potential growth of Rookie of the Year nominee Ally Sentnor had many people believing in this group's chances of making the playoffs. For whatever reason, though, this team has regressed and put themselves in a position where every game moving forward is now a must-win.

When these two teams met last season in Utah, it was an offensive explosion for Gotham FC, who not only won the game 4-1 but also made three last-minute nominations for the goal of the year award. The hope is that they can rediscover the goal-scoring form they had in Utah last year and bottle it up to carry forward through the rest of the season. So, let's take a look at the preview of the next match.

Gotham FC vs Utah Royals FC preview

Date

The match will be played on Friday, June 13.

Time

The game is scheduled to begin at 9:30 PM ET.

How to watch

The fixture will be streamed on NWSL+ and can be seen locally on TV via MSG.

Location

The match will be played at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.

Weather

It looks to be a hot one in Utah with temperatures at 93 degrees at kickoff before dropping to 84 towards the end of the game. In addition, wind gusts up to 20 mph are expected with humidity hovering around 10-15% throughout the game. There is also a 0% chance of rain.

Injury report

Tierna Davidson (SEI – knee), Shelby Hogan (D45 – thumb), Gabi Portilho (hip), Midge Purce (thigh), Jéssica Silva (excused absence), and Ella Stevens (knee) will miss the match in Utah.

Players to watch

For Gotham, keep an eye on Sarah Schupansky. After a strong start to her rookie year, she has reached one of the down periods players go through during their rookie seasons. Despite only having two assists, she's near the top when it comes to chances created. Don't be surprised if fans start to see a rebound from the 21-year-old and become a big contributor in these next two games.

For Utah, Claudia Zornoza is one of the key players for the team. As a defensive midfielder, she tends not to put up gaudy goal and assist numbers but is key to any bit of success Utah could have moving forward. When watching this game, watch how often she touches the ball and dictates the tempo whenever Utah is in possession. It becomes pretty clear when viewing the game this way how important a player like Zornoza is to Utah.

This definitely feels like a match Gotham should be able to take advantage of and win to end their winless streak. A 2-0 win is the prediction with goals from Schupansky and Jaelin Howell, which would be her first goal for the club. Not only does this game feel like a winnable game, but it is pretty close to a must-win for the NJ/NY side. The urgency for Utah was mentioned earlier, but for Gotham FC, the situation is not too far off, and three points here are needed to turn around their season.