Gotham FC vs Washington Spirit preview: Wrapping up the Champions Cup group stage | OneFootball

NJ/NY Gotham FC will bring their nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions to Subaru Park in Philadelphia (technically Chester), Pennsylvania, as they wrap up their CONCACAF W Champions Cup Group B schedule against the Washington Spirit. While this game is being played at a neutral location, it is considered a home game for the Bats.

Gotham has won all of their Group B matches against C.F. Monterrey Femenil, Alianza Women FC, and Vancouver Rise FC Academy and will look to remain perfect in group play and finish top of their group. These were two achievements they failed to meet in the previous iteration of the tournament. They will enter this match in great form as they ride a nine-game unbeaten run, with the most recent result being a dominant 3-0 win over Portland Thorns FC on Friday night in NWSL play.

For Washington, they enter in even better form than Gotham as they are on a 12-match unbeaten run and had a dominant win themselves, beating the Houston Dash on Sunday 4-0. The D.C. side has only played two matches in group play so far, but has come away with two big wins: 7-0 over Alianza and 4-0 over Vancouver.

The Bats currently sit at the top of Group B with nine points, while Washington is second with six. The two also sit side by side in the NWSL table with Washington in second and Gotham in third, separated by six points. A win for Gotham FC secures top spot in the group while a draw secures a top-two finish and a spot in next spring's semifinals. While a loss won't fully eliminate them, it does leave them vulnerable to Monterrey, who could potentially beat out Gotham to second with wins over Vancouver and Washington. Here's a preview of Wednesday's match.

Gotham FC vs Washington Spirit preview

Date

The game will be played on Wednesday, October 1.

Time

The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM ET.

How to watch

The fixture will be streamed on Paramount+ in English and ESPN Select/ ESPN+ in Spanish.

Location

The game will be played at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Weather

The temperature at kickoff will be 66 degrees, dropping to 61 by the end of the match. Humidity will hover around 40-45% throughout the game with a 0% chance of rain. Wind will also be a factor with winds around 7-8 mph. While that may not sound like much, it is important to remember this stadium is much more open than Sports Illustrated Stadium is, and also sits on the banks of the Delaware River, which can also have an effect on the wind. Sunset is set for 6:43 PM.

Injury report

CONCACAF rules do not require teams to release an injury report prior to matches. With that being the case, last week's report, which will be listed below, is the most up-to-date information available.

Tierna Davidson (SEI - knee), Geyse (knee), Ella Srevens (knee), and Taryn Torres (SEI - knee) were listed as "out" during Friday's match. Also, during Friday's game, Bruninha was subbed off with a potential foot injury, and her status for Wednesday is currently unknown.

Players to watch

For Gotham, Katie Stengel is the player to watch and has started to find a bit of goal-scoring form. She scored against Vancouver in the team's previous W Champions Cup game and in Friday's match against Portland after coming on as a halftime substitute. The former Spirit forward can play a big role in this Gotham team going deep in the NWSL playoffs as she potentially provides goals off the bench, something they have not had for most of this season.

Fans should also watch Washington's Rosemonde Kouassi, who is currently tied for the Golden Boot lead in group stage play. This is thanks to a hat-trick scored against Alianza in the Spirit's 7-0 rout of the team from El Salvador. While she might only play limited minutes on Wednesday, as she did play 90 minutes on Sunday against Houston, if Washington does need a goal late in the game, do not be surprised to see her number called for a cameo off the bench.

It is tough to get a read on this game. While both teams will want to win this match, it's not imperative that they do as a draw will still be good for both teams. Add to that the fact that it's a neutral sight game, and both teams will rotate their Starting XI, and it becomes tough to gauge how either team will come out for this one. A 1-1 draw seems to be the most likely outcome, with goals coming from Stengel and Kouassi, but the possible outcomes for this game for Gotham FC are seemingly endless.