Is Jaedyn Shaw the one thing keeping Gotham FC's season together? While this may feel like a strange question to pose, for a team that's en route to winning the NWSL Shield for the most points in the regular season, Gotham's stats have been quite odd. As Gotham prepare to travel to face the Washington Spirit on Saturday, it's worth taking a look at those Shield credentials with three games left in the regular season.
Gotham have conceded the fewest goals in the league while also scoring the 12th-most goals of any team. They have the second-best goal difference due to their defensive play, but when looking deeper at the numbers, they aren't clearly the best team in the league; that's likely the San Diego Wave. By the numbers, the team chasing them has the better goal difference and expected goals difference.
Of course, soccer is played on grass and not spreadsheets, but this is important to take note of, with the playoffs around the corner. That xG underperformance on the attacking side of the ball is something that could come back to bite this team, as of the top five scorers this season, four are significantly underperforming their xG. Ester Gonzalez may no longer be with the team, but she was close to hitting her expected numbers with six goals from an xG of 7.85. Sam Kerr has four goals from 9.58 xG, Rose Lavelle has four from 6.26 xG, Jordynn Dudley has four from 5.76 xG, and then there's Shaw.
How to watch Washington Spirit vs. NJ/NY Gotham, odds
Date: Saturday, Oct. 17 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Audi Field -- Washington, D.C.
TV: CBS
Odds: Washington Spirit +160; Draw +230; NJ/NJ Gotham +155
While it was surprising not to see Shaw in the most recent United States women's national team camp facing Spain, Emma Hayes made the point that she wanted Shaw to play consistent minutes with the U-23s rather than come off the bench, given the national team's depth on the wings. That's understandable, but Gotham need Shaw to continue performing at this level, or an attack that is already underperforming will crater on the season.
Luckily, there isn't a position that Shaw can't get a shot off from or an area of the pitch that she can't score from. Be it cutting inside from the wing, popping up with a header or just taking a rip from outside the box, she's got you covered. And with so many other stars on this Gotham team, other NWSL sides can't focus on taking away Shaw because then someone else will make them pay.
Despite the inefficiency in attack, the club's defense makes this a strong side, even if it's no longer the true super team Gotham were trying to build in New Jersey. That may even be for the best, as to win the NWSL championship, sides have to be well-rounded and have multiple avenues to create danger, which Gotham have.
That could be enough to win a championship, but if a team can limit Shaw's shots, there are fair questions about what Gotham will do next. Facing the third-placed Washington Spirit will be a good test in that regard, but they're more of a test of Gotham's defense than they are of Gotham's attack. But to win a championship, they'll likely need to go through the Spirit anyway, and with the final set for Audi Field, this is good preparation, making Saturday's clash must-watch TV.