Gotham FC have an opportunity to move into first place when they face Portland Thorns FC on Friday night.
A win or draw would be enough to lift the Bats at least temporarily into top position in the NWSL table as the current first-place Washington Spirit plays on Sunday.
With head coach Juan Carlos Amorós on parental leave, lead assistant coach Shaun Harris will be in charge on the sidelines.
Gotham will look to extend its current three-match winning streak when Friday’s contest between the top-four sides kicks off at Providence Park.
“It’s going to be a difficult game,” Harris stated during Thursday’s pre-match press conference. “It’s always difficult coming to Portland and playing in this environment, but at the same time, we relish these kinds of moments.
“The players are really excited to come and play here. The crowd is always good, and it always gives us some interesting problems to solve. We’re really looking forward to it. We’ve had a good training week and switched the focus from the last game. It’s a tight turnaround with the travel, but everyone’s ready to go.”
Last time out, Rose Lavelle’s dramatic 98th-minute game-winning goal sent the Bats to victory over Seattle Reign FC.
Gotham To Face Portland Without Leading Scorer Esther González
Esther González, who scored twice in last Saturday’s win, will miss Friday’s match in Portland. She is away from the club on an excused absence.
González leads the Bats with six goals scored through 15 NWSL matches. It’s possible that world-class striker Sam Kerr could lead the line.
Defender Kayla Duran and midfielder Taryn Torres are also set to miss out as both are listed on the season-ending injury list due to knee injuries.
Rookie Standout Jordynn Dudley Listed as Questionable
Rookie of the Year candidate Jordynn Dudley is listed as questionable due to a head injury. The 21-year-old forward hasn’t played since being substituted in the 34th minute of the July 15 match at Citi Field against the Spirit.
Portland will be boosted by the news that forward Morgan Weaver has been taken off the season-ending injury list. Weaver is available for selection ahead of Friday’s match after fully recovering from a long-term right knee injury.
She last played on November 10, 2024, when Gotham defeated the Thorns 2-1 in the NWSL playoff quarterfinals. The 28-year-old has scored 22 goals in all competitions since her 2020 NWSL rookie season.
Portland will be without Bella Bixby, Julie Dufour, Caiya Hanks and Reilyn Turner, who are all ruled out due to knee injuries. Even though the Thorns are shorthanded, Gotham right-back Bruninha knows that Portland’s pace will be difficult to stop.
“Portland is a very good team,” Bruninha said on Thursday. “They have very good players and very fast players, so we need to give them our full attention. But we also have a very good team. This league is very competitive. We need to stay strong against them and stay focused for all 90 minutes.”
Denise O’Sullivan Poised for More Minutes
Recent Gotham arrival Denise O’Sullivan could see increased minutes in her second appearance for the club. South Ward Central asked Harris on Thursday about the chances of O’Sullivan playing a greater role after her debut lasted eight minutes.
“I think she’s going to be ready to go real soon,” Harris replied.
Friday’s match is scheduled to kick off at 10 p.m. Eastern Time with Prime Video carrying the national broadcast.
Should Gotham earn a victory, it would mark the club’s fifth road win of the season and an important one, as it would push the Bats into first place.
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