Rivalry Weekend is here for the NWSL.
Can up-and-down Gotham FC’s Saturday afternoon clash with the visiting third-place Washington Spirit live up to that new capital-letter billing?
“The feeling of a rivalry is something that obviously takes time to grow, but certainly I do think we feel rivalry with them — because of their proximity to us and a number of other factors,” Gotham general manager Yael Averbuch West recently told The Post. “We are really pumped up for the game.
“I think we’re still not forgetting how we exited the playoffs last year.”
Ah, yes, that heartbreaker. Gotham’s hopes of repeating as NWSL champs were dashed in the nation’s capital in the semifinals last November when the Spirit equalized on a last-ditch Hal Hershfelt header in stoppage time and ultimately prevailed on penalty kicks.
“There’s definitely some history and good matchups,” Gotham star midfielder Rose Lavelle said Friday. “I think it’s a blooming rivalry. Any time you get to play the Spirit, they’re a great team with a lot of talent, so it’s always going to be a tough game that you have to show up for.”
A big and boisterous crowd is expected for the noon kickoff (airing on ESPN) at Sports Illustrated Stadium, where the upper deck of seats will be open for a change.
Here are three things to watch:
1. When is Gotham going to make a run?
Gotham (5W-5L-4D) is plodding along in eighth place, barely on the right side of the playoff cut line, after last weekend’s uninspiring draw in Chicago. Now they embark on a stretch of three straight regular-season home games, a chance to climb to a more comfortable perch in the standings.
“Looking to bounce back from maybe what we felt like wasn’t our best performance last week,” Lavelle said, “and get some more momentum coming into the second half of the season.”
2. Can Esther pick up where she left off?
Gotham forward Esther González, who leads the NWSL’s Golden Boot race with 10 goals (the team has just 19 total), missed last weekend’s match after featuring for Spain during their run to the Euros final.
A finalist for this year’s Ballon d’Or award (given to the world’s best player), González will be available Saturday, though on a minutes restriction of some kind, according to head coach Juan Carlos Amorós.
3. What will Trinity Rodman do for her next trick?
The USWNT phenom missed nearly four months of action rehabbing a chronic back injury (and joining boyfriend Ben Shelton at his international tennis stops).
When she returned to action last weekend for the Spirit as a substitute, she scored an emotional game-winner that left her in tears.
