Gotham FC will not beat the Kansas City Current in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs | OneFootball

NJ/NY Gotham FC will begin the NWSL Playoffs on Sunday when the team takes on the Kansas City Current. The Bats have the unfortunate task of facing the NWSL Shield winners in the quarterfinals because they lost on Decision Day to the North Carolina Courage.

The Bats would still be on the road regardless of the result. However, the 3-2 loss shows how the ladies were close to earning a draw and would have ended the season in sixth place. Alas, they scored too late to get that third goal. Instead, they finished the year in eighth place and have a mountain to climb if they want to make the semifinals.

Gotham FC will not beat the KC Current

In complete honesty, fans should expect Gotham FC to be eliminated from the postseason when they play the Current this Sunday. The NJ/NY side lost both of the regular-season meetings, and KC only lost three of the 26 games played. Some might argue that anything can happen, as seen in the 2023 championship run.

But there was no clear dominant leader in the NWSL that season. This year, Kansas City is the clear leader and has historically had one of the best seasons in league history. It is easy to believe that they will win the NWSL Championship like they won the NWSL Shield. The Current leads all of the other teams with 49 goals in the regular season. They have also allowed the fewest goals, with 13.

Notably, Gotham is seventh in goals scored, with 35. The NJ/NY side is second with goals allowed, as they have allowed 25. While the Bats are the second-best team defensively, the difference between the teams is insane.

At the same time, the visitors enter this game on a poor run of form. Gotham has a 1-2-3 record in their last six NSWL matches, with the lone win coming against Portland Thorns FC. The draws can be seen as not the worst thing. Yet, two of the three draws occurred at home. The fact that they dropped more points at home during a stretch where wins were needed illuminates that this is not the same team as last year.

Additionally, there is the question about the status of Gotham's leading goal scorer, Esther González. The striker has missed the last few games due to a hip injury. Not having her in the lineup has impacted the team, and not for the better.

Therefore, based on the previous meetings with KC, the current poor form, and basic statistics, one should assume that the Current will be the team to move on in the NWSL Playoffs, and not Gotham FC.