Washington Spirit are in for a tough match-up tonight in New Jersey when they take on a Gotham FC looking to overtake them in the standings. Due to an ongoing heat advisory in the area, kick-off time has been moved from early afternoon to 6 p.m.

After a slow start to their season, Gotham FC (8-3-2) have found their groove. They’re now ranked fourth in the NWSL and haven’t lost in nine matches. Under coach Juan Carlos Amorós, Gotham press high and aim to create chaos that they can exploit. Since losing to Washington earlier this season, they’ve added Emily Sonnett to the backline to help with organization and have been able to bring Rose Lavelle on to score goals more frequently – two factors Spirit captain Aubrey Kingsbury noted as being important to their improvement. Kingsbury also complimented fellow goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who’s made 30 saves in just nine matches and has the highest save percentage in the league.

“They’re well-organized,” Kingsbury said. “I think it’ll be a great match-up. It’ll be a great test for us.”

The Washington Spirit (9-1-3) are similarly hot right now, with nine wins overall and on a five-game unbeaten streak. Like Gotham, they’re loaded with talent, including assist-leader Croix Bethune, and have scored the second-most goals in the NWSL. With goals coming from 10 different players so far this season, the Spirit are hard to defend against and creative on the attack.

Although future head coach Jonatan Giráldez recently joined the team, Adrián González will still be serving as interim head coach for the match. González said the team would need to focus on playing intelligently today, staying compact and timing their runs to conserve energy.

Conservation of energy will be important, because both teams will also be battling the heat, which is expected to be in the low-90s at the updated kick-off time. Gotham, who played on Wednesday night, might be suffering from additional fatigue as a result, although they’ve rotated their squad regularly, while Washington have tended to rely on a core group of players.

“We’re going to want to keep the ball and try to avoid some unnecessary running,” Kingsbury said. “So hopefully we’ll keep some good patience on the ball and try to break them down in specific areas that we’ve identified.”

Key Player: Hal Hershfelt

Hal Hershfelt showed last week that she can play just about anywhere on the field, when she switched mid-match to playing right back for the injured Gabby Carle. Still, the midfield is where she shines, helping Washington to control their opponents and quickly switch play, as well as occasionally getting up high to provide an additional goal-scoring threat.

Watch Out For: Ella Stevens

In her first year at Gotham after signing as a restricted free agent, forward Ella Stevens has become a driving force in her team’s success. She’s scored five goals in her last five matches.

Challenges: Washington’s past two matches have been relatively low-scoring for this team, with just one goal in each despite taking 16 and 18 shots (seven and eight of those on target). They’ll need to make better decisions in the final third to improve the quality of their shots and outscore Gotham this afternoon.

Previously: The Spirit were the last team to beat Gotham before they went on a nine-game unbeaten streak, winning 2-0 at Audi Field.

NJ/NY Gotham FC Availability:

Out: Kristen Edmonds (knee), Sinead Farrelly (SEI – concussion), Esther González (foot), Kelley O’Hara (knee), Midge Purce (SEI – knee), Abby Smith (SEI – lower leg), Taylor Smith (SEI – thigh), Lynn Williams (lower leg), Svava Gudmunsdottir (excused absence)

Questionable: Ella Stevens (lower leg)

Washington Spirit Availability:

Out: Civana Kuhlmann (SEI – knee), Anna Heilferty (SEI – knee), Lyza Bosselmann (wrist)

Questionable: None

Location: Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
Kickoff time: 6 p.m. ET
Referee: Jeremy Scheer
Available TV: ESPN2
Available streaming: ESPN+