How to watch the Friday night matchup between Gotham FC and San Diego Wave | OneFootball

NJ/NY Gotham FC will be back at home after their good three-game road trip.  The team went 2-0-1, last beating the Houston Dash in a solid win despite only scoring once.  But now, the Bats will face the team that has their number: San Diego Wave FC.  This might be a home game, but the Wave can easily win based on the history between the two sides.

Remember, Gotham FC has a 2-7-1 overall record against the California team.  For some reason, the NJ/NY team struggles against them.  They already lost to them this season back on Independence Day.  The good news, though, is that the Bats beat them once in 2024 and 2025.  Hence, maybe they can get that win in 2026, too.  More importantly, they have gone unbeaten since last losing to San Diego.  Perhaps that success will spread into the upcoming match.

The big question, though, is who will back up Sam Kerr?  After Katie Lampson’s retirement, the surprise departure of Esther González, and the loan deal for Mak Whitham, Gotham is somewhat without a true backup striker.  Jordynn Dudley might be the most obvious choice, but she is at her best on the wings.  Jaedyn Shaw or even Rose Lavelle as a false nine might be options as well, but not having another true striker could be a challenge.

If anything, the Bats need to open the scoring early if they want to win.  Ideally, Kerr will have one of her best games.  It would also be nice to see Lavelle score again since she has gone a few matches without a goal.  Nevertheless, Gotham FC will likely need to be perfect if they want to come away with all three points.

How to watch Gotham FC and San Diego Wave

Date

Friday, August 7

Time

8:00 PM ET

How to watch on TV and streaming

Prime

How to listen

Unknown

How to watch in person

Fans can head to Sports Illustrated Stadium for the home match.

How to follow

Supporters can follow the game on Gotham’s social media accounts, the NWSL feed on the NWSL website, and other websites like ESPN.com.

Final notes

Ted Lasso is back with a fourth season, and to celebrate, Gotham FC will have Believe merchandise, combining with the show for unique T-shirts and hats.  This is not surprising since many players were at the premiere on Tuesday, for the team was lightly featured in the first episode.