Gotham FC vs San Diego Wave FC preview: An East Coast vs West Coast showdown | OneFootball

Following a 1-0 loss to Racing Louisville FC, marking the third time in four games that they have dropped points, NJ/NY Gotham FC will play in their consecutive Friday night game, this time at home, against San Diego Wave FC. The Bats will try to find the level of consistency that they had in 2024 after a mixed bag of results and performances in their last five fixtures.

Gotham has not found the consistency from last season that helped them set numerous club records. That is understandable given the roster turnover and the addition of many players who lack experience playing in NWSL or playing professionally. Finding that consistency, or even just 70-80% of it, should see them comfortably make the playoffs. Of course, there is obviously no guarantee that they will get there. This is their last league game before their CONCACAF W Champions Cup semifinal at the end of the month, so they will want to go into that game with some positive momentum.

Meanwhile, San Diego’s early-season form has been surprising in 2025. After a tumultuous 2024, followed by an offseason that saw them mainly go young with their signings, many had 2025 pegged as a rebuild year for the Wave. And while the season is still young and a lot can happen between now and November, the kids can pretty clearly play. Of the eleven players to have scored for the Wave this season, seven are under 25 years old with three of those seven being under the age of 18. It seems like this team for the future could also end up being a team of the present for San Diego.

Ever since Juan Carlos Amorós took over as head coach of Gotham FC before 2023, Gotham have only ever lost two games in a row just once. This was back in October 2023 when they lost to the Houston Dash and Portland Thorns FC back-to-back. So, the head coach has a way of getting a response from his players after losing a game. Here is a preview of Gotham's matchup against the San Diego Wave.

Gotham FC vs San Diego Wave preview

Date

Gotham FC will play the San Diego Wave on Friday, May 16.

Time

The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM ET.

How to watch

The match will be streamed on NWSL+ and can be viewed locally on MSG.

Location

The game will be played at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.

Weather

There will be a slight chance of rain, but for the most part, it will be mostly cloudy. It will be around 73 degrees with the humidity around 69%.

Injury report

Sofia Cook (thigh), Tierna Davidson (SEI - knee), Shelby Hogan (D45 - thumb), Rose Lavelle (ankle), Gabi Portilho (hip), and Jéssica Silva (ankle) are all out for Friday’s match.

Players to watch

For Gotham, keep an eye on Geyse. After being on a pretty heavy minutes restriction since joining on loan from Manchester United back in March, the Brazilian played a season high 68 minutes against Louisville. While she did not score in that match, she did record the second-most shots and chances created of all players. She has the chance to be a huge game-changer for this Gotham team and could take advantage of what has been a young back four for San Diego.

For San Diego, Delphine Cascarino has been one of the most entertaining players to watch in all of NWSL. Joining part way through last season after spending 10+ seasons with Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, Cascarino has four goals and seven assists in 20 career games for the Wave. She has clearly been their best attacker and keeping her quiet will be key for Gotham's backline if they want to win on Friday.

Right now, these are two teams on opposite ends of the table, with San Diego soaring and the NJ/NY side looking for answers. The travel will be a factor for the Wave since it is always difficult going from coast to coast. As such, a 1-1 draw with Ella Stevens getting her first goal of 2025 for Gotham and Cascarino scoring for the Wave, will be the outcome.