Preview Gotham v Dash

Match Preview: Gotham FC Targets Vital Points in Home Showdown Against Houston

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Aug. 16, 2025) - With the NWSL standings tightening by the week, Gotham FC is chasing three crucial points in its second-half playoff push when it hosts the Houston Dash on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET at Sports Illustrated Stadium, with coverage on MSG Networks, NWSL+ and Paramount+.

Gotham FC (5-5-5, 20 points) enters the weekend in eighth place, the final playoff position, holding a one-point advantage over the North Carolina Courage. The club is riding a season-best four-match unbeaten streak, most recently earning a scoreless draw against the Washington Spirit while playing 60-plus minutes down a player.

Gotham posted its sixth clean sheet of the season and has conceded the fourth-fewest goals at home (seven), tied with Orlando, Portland and North Carolina.

Houston (4-8-3, 15 points) begins Week 16 in 12th place, five points shy of the playoff line. The Dash are unbeaten in their last two matches and are coming off a 2-1 victory over North Carolina, sealed by a second-half stoppage-time goal from Sophie Schmidt.

The Dash are tied for the fourth-worst road record in the league this season at 2-3-1, with their last away win coming May 11 against Seattle. They are winless in their last three road matches.

Sunday’s match marks the 27th all-time meeting between Gotham and Houston, with Gotham holding an 11-9-6 edge in the series after a scoreless draw in Houston back in March. At home, Gotham is 5-6-2 against the Dash and unbeaten in its last three meetings (two wins, one draw).

Following Sunday’s match, Gotham will pause NWSL play to open its 2025-26 Concacaf W Champions Cup campaign, hosting CF Monterrey Femenil at Icahn Stadium on Aug. 20 in Manhattan.

Key Points: 

• Gotham FC held Washington to a scoreless draw on Saturday despite Geyse receiving a red card in the 30th minute. It was the earliest red card shown to a team that went on to record a clean sheet in NWSL history.
• Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger made three saves in the shutout of Washington, earning her 13th career regular-season clean sheet. That is the second most by any goalkeeper since the start of last season, behind only Orlando’s Anna Moorhouse (18).
• Gotham has conceded just one goal in its last three meetings with the Houston Dash, dating to May 8, 2024.
• Gotham has allowed 14 goals in 15 matches this season, averaging 0.9 goals conceded per match — the third-best mark in the NWSL this season, behind only Kansas City and Orlando.