Gotham FC vs Portland Thorns FC preview: A late-night matchup in the Rose City | OneFootball

After starting the three-game road trip with a dominant 4-0 win over Angel City FC, NJ/NY Gotham FC will make the trip up north to take on Portland Thorns FC. It is a quick turnaround for the Bats, who are preparing for their second game in five days out on the west coast before traveling to D.C. to take on the Washington Spirit on Saturday.

So far, it's been a slow start for one of the league's traditional powerhouses in the Thorns. Through five games, they have only one win and have scored three goals. Meanwhile, the home side is coming off a 1-0 loss to their Cascadia rivals Seattle Reign FC. Hence, they will not only want a rebound win but will also seek revenge after falling to Gotham 2-1 in last year's playoff quarterfinals. That loss was also their fourth loss in a row to the NJ/NY side.

On the other hand, the momentum is pretty clearly on the visitors' side. They had two superb wins in a row, but also two of their best wins in Juan Carlos Amorós' tenure as head coach. The win against Angel City was particularly important not just because it helped set the tone for this stretch of games, but it also showed that the win the previous week against the North Carolina Courage was not just an aberration. After a slow start, similar to the one they had last season, getting these two wins has really helped kickstart this season before things started to get too far away from them. Continuing that momentum and getting a win away to Portland should hopefully put a lot of fans' concerns about this season to bed.

Given the short turnaround, expect to see a fair amount of rotation. Do not be shocked if fans see Bruninha, Midge Purce, and Taryn Torres in the Starting XI while players who have played a lot of minutes so far this season, like Jess Carter, Jaelin Howell, and Emily Sonnett, potentially come out. Here is a preview of Tuesday's matchup against the Portland Thorns.

Gotham FC vs Portland Thorns FC preview

Date

Gotham FC will visit the Portland Thorns on Tuesday, April 22.

Time

The game is scheduled to begin at 10:30 PM ET.

How to watch

The match will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network and the MSG Network in the New York City area.

Location

The game will be played at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon.

Weather

It looks like a relatively nice night in Portland with temperatures in the low 60s at kickoff before dipping down into the high 50s at the end of the game. Wind speeds will be around seven mph with humidity around 50%. Rather un-Portland like is the chance of rain, which will be at 0% throughout the fixture.

Injury report

Ryan Campbell (shoulder), Sofia Cook (thigh), Tierna Davidson (SEI - knee), Shelby Hogan (D45 - thumb), Rose Lavelle (ankle), and Mandy Freeman (hip) are not available. Additionally, Ella Stevens (back) is questionable.

Players to watch

With the Thorns' two top attacking players out with injury, Reilyn Turner is starting to step into that role as the main attacking outlet. After being traded midway through her rookie year in 2024 from Racing Louisville FC, the 22-year-old forward has two of Portland's three goals so far this season. If Portland has any sort of attacking threat on Tuesday, then one should expect the vast majority of it to come through Turner, making her a player to watch.

As mentioned earlier, expect Purce to make her first start for the club since the 2024 season opener. So far in her limited minutes this season, the winger has looked very Purcey. She's still able to beat players off of the dribble in one-on-one situations and can also create, as shown by her setting up Geyse's first goal for Gotham on Friday night. Fans should pay attention to the winger during the fixture.

Prediction

The good times will continue for Gotham FC, who will get their third win in a row by a score of 2-0. Expect goals to come from Gabi Portilho and Esther González, who will continue her red-hot goal-scoring form with her fifth goal in three games.