Gotham FC vs Chicago Stars FC preview: Finally back at home | OneFootball

After winning their first game in Washington, D.C. since 2021, NJ/NY Gotham FC return home for just the third time this season to take on Chicago Stars FC. Things have tended to go in Gotham's way when facing Chicago as they enter Sunday on a five-match winning streak against the Stars in all competitions.

The NJ/NY side will come into this game after three straight road games within the span of eight days. Analyzing those three games leaves many more positives than negatives when trying to figure out what the 2025 version of Gotham FC looks like. While the 4-1 loss to Portland Thorns FC can and should be viewed as a major negative, injuries, a midweek game with a lot of travel, and an uncharacteristically sloppy second half all reared their ugly heads and created a perfect storm of a one-off poor performance. This loss was sandwiched by two great wins over Angel City FC and the Washington Spirit by scores of 4-0 and 3-0, respectively.

For Chicago, the big story is that they fired head coach Lorne Donaldson on Wednesday. Donaldson was brought in after a last-place finish in 2023 to try to turn the club around under new ownership. And while they did squeak into the eighth and final playoff spot in 2024, they've won just once from their opening six games and find themselves back at the bottom of the table after two consecutive losses. Many Stars fans will contest that the roster is not good enough, especially given they've been missing Mallory Swanson all season, and that they overachieved in making the playoffs last year.

It's fairly common for teams to have a "new manager bump" when a coaching change causes an uptick in performance. However, the gap in quality between the two teams should be enough that Gotham should not have to worry about that too much. Here's a preview of Sunday's game against the Chicago Stars.

Gotham FC vs Chicago Stars preview

Date

Gotham FC will play the Chicago Stars on Sunday, May 4.

Time

The game is scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM ET.

How to watch

The match will be broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.

Location

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

Weather

Temperatures throughout the game will be around 68 degrees with around 80% humidity. There is also around a 60% chance of rain throughout the course of the match.

Injury report

Jess Carter (thigh), Tierna Davidson (SEI - knee), Shelby Hogan (D45 - thumb), Rose Lavelle (ankle), Gabi Portilho (hip), and Jéssica Silva (excused absence) are out for Sunday's game.

Players to watch

For Chicago, one of the few bright spots has been forward Jameese Joseph, making her someone to watch. The second-year player has scored or assisted on all three of the team's goals this season and looks to be a real player for them, not just in the future but in the here and now. It seems like she is the Stars' best hope for offense, especially so in the absence of Swanson.

Gotham FC fans should once again pay attention to Esther González. Obviously, there is an effort to diversify this pick every week, but it's borderline malpractice not to mention her! González enters Sunday's game with seven goals in her last four matches for the Bats and nine in her last six for club and country. It is very clear that as long as she is scoring, this Gotham team can beat just about anybody. Scoring at this rate will not continue for much longer, but if she can continue to score at a consistent rate throughout the rest of the season, the Golden Boot and maybe even an MVP might be in her future.

Based on the way the teams have been playing in 2025, the prediction is that Gotham FC will win 3-0. González will find the back of the net again, but Geyse and Sarah Schupansky will also score.