Gotham FC vs Bay FC preview: Part two of the western road trip | OneFootball

Coming off of an exciting 2-2 draw with Portland Thorns FC on Friday night, NJ/NY Gotham FC is back in action Wednesday night when they take on Bay FC. This is the second meeting of the season between the two clubs, with the first being a comfortable 3-0 win for the Bats that really kickstarted their season after a four-game winless run where they only scored one goal. Since then, the ladies have gone 8-1-2 in NWSL play and vaulted themselves up to second in the table.

Meanwhile, Gotham FC has had a tumultuous week that saw Emily Sonnett potentially suffer a serious injury, Esther González leave unexpectedly, and Khyah Harper leave for the Houston Dash. Still, this is a chance to see themselves jump up to sole possession of first in the table. A win over Bay combined with a win for Utah Royals FC over the Washington Spirit will see the NJ/NY side jump to the top, one point above both the Spirit and the Royals.

But the home side is desperate for a win. Bay FC must earn three points to keep their playoff hopes alive. Three points will see them jump up as many as five spots and within a point of Angel City FC in the final playoff spot. It has been an up-and-down season for Bay, where one game they'll look like world beaters and then follow it up with a performance where they only look worthy of the bottom of the table. This is probably down to them not only having one of the youngest rosters in the NWSL, but also a coach in Emma Coates who is both young and in her first club job outside of England.

Historically, Bay has been a favorite opponent of Gotham's. The Bats have four wins and one draw in five total matches against them, outscoring them 13-3 and only ever trailing in these five games for a little over 18 minutes total. Obviously this domination will not last forever, but given where the two teams are at this season, this seems like an ideal matchup for the Bats in their quest to reach the top of the table. Here is a preview of Wednesday's match.

Gotham FC vs Bay FC preview

Date

The game will take place on Wednesday, July 29.

Time

The fixture is scheduled to kick off at 10:00 PM ET, 7:00 PM local time.

Location

The match will take place at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.

How to watch

The match will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

Weather

It looks to be a pleasant evening for soccer on Wednesday night in San Jose, with temperatures in the mid-70s at kickoff, dropping down to the mid-60s by the end. Humidity will hover around 55-65%, with winds around 10 mph and gusts reaching as high as 18 mph. Sunset is scheduled for 8:18 PM local, which should fall during the early stages of the second half. There is a 0% chance of rain.

Injury report

Gotham FC will be without Kayla Duran (knee - SEI), Denise O'Sullivan (knee), and Emily Sonnett (knee). Notably, Sonnett is not listed as SEI, so perhaps she did not tear her ACL. Fans continue to wait for an update. Plus, Taryn Torres is back as she was activated off the season-ending injury list.

Players to watch

With the recent departures from the club, Sam Kerr is now the very clear number one striker, making her one to watch. She scored her first goal in her first start for the club on Friday night in Portland, and should be close to 90 minutes fit at this point. Kerr, a lot like González, can score in bunches, and it feels like now that she's gotten her first, the floodgates could open.

Fans should also watch Kennedy Fuller, who has made an immediate impact since being acquired from Angel City. Since moving up the California coast in mid-June, the 19-year-old midfielder has played four games and created the most chances in two of them, and even bagged her first goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Racing Louisville FC. Fuller feels like maybe the missing piece for this Bay FC midfield that has other young standouts like Hannah Bebar and USWNT rising star Claire Hutton.

Prediction

Despite being on the road and a quick turnaround from Friday, this should be a pretty straightforward win for Gotham FC. 2-0 is the prediction, with Kerr scoring her second in two games and Jaedyn Shaw getting her first goal since May 15.