The Sporting Club Jacksonville women’s team (12-4-5, 41 pts) are back at Hodges Stadium on Saturday, looking to maintain their spot atop the Gainbridge Super League table when they face off with Brooklyn FC (5-10-7, 22 pts).
Sporting JAX vs. Brooklyn FC
Saturday, April 4 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Hodges Stadium | Jacksonville, FL
Watch on WJXT Channel 4 and Peacock
Up to Speed
This is an important weekend for Sporting JAX and their push to the Playoffs. With a win on Saturday and some help from DC Power FC and Spokane Zephyr FC, the ladies can clinch a berth in the Gainbridge Super League Playoffs. While it’s not guaranteed just yet, Sporting JAX remains locked in on winning either way.
Their last outing, a 1-1 draw with Spokane on a windy night, was a pump on the brakes compared to the team’s recent torrid pace. Conditions weren’t ideal, but they managed to still come away with a point despite going down early. Unfortunately, this allowed second-place Lexington SC to inch ever closer to the top spot. A win in their midweek fixture narrowed the gap to just one point, with Sporting JAX’s Saturday showdown serving as a match in hand.
The path to clinching, along with home-field advantage and a potential No. 1 seed, is still clear for Sporting JAX. It won’t be easy, though, and it will require the squad to return to its winning ways. Prior to last week’s draw, the squad was on a four-match win streak, defeating their opponents by a combined score of 12-0. This team is still very much capable of ripping off another dominant streak, but Saturday is the key to this.
The Opponent
Brooklyn FC has struggled recently, dropping four of their last five. This stretch did include a 3-0 over Tampa Bay Sun FC, so there is hope and the potential is there. In the four losses, they were shut out completely, though. It’s this lack of offense that has plagued the team as of late, which could be an issue against the highest-scoring team in the league.
Discipline has also been an area of concern for the Empire State squad, conceding the second-most fouls (299) and the most yellow cards (53) in the league this season. This aggressive style has caused problems and will not help any on Saturday against a well-disciplined Sporting JAX team that has taken advantage of opponents’ mistakes.
Brooklyn will look to top scorers Catherine Zimmerman and Rebecca Cooke–both of which rank top 10 in Gainbridge Super League goals scored–for a strong showing on Saturday. Things haven’t gone as they would’ve liked, but there’s still time for Brooklyn to finish the regular season on a positive note.
The Verdict
The last time these two teams met in October, it ended as a thrilling 3-3 draw with late-game dramatics. Things have changed since, but nothing in this league is guaranteed. Sporting JAX has to respect their opponent and take this match seriously.
There’s plenty on the line for both teams, especially the home side. Lexington is hot on their tracks, but they have an opportunity to keep them at arm’s length with a win on Saturday. Maintaining this two-match will be a huge motivating factor as the race to the playoffs quickly intensifies.
Look for Brooklyn to give their all as they seek to snap this recent skid. Sporting JAX will look to assert dominance over a full 90 minutes, but there will likely be chances for Brooklyn. They will need to take advantage of these when they arise or else they may be staring down another negative result.
