Gotham FC announced Monday that it is moving its National Women’s Soccer League semifinal playoff match against the Kansas City Current because of the field conditions at the team’s home stadium in New Jersey.
President of Soccer Operations Yael Averbuch West said the game will be played Sunday at the much smaller Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan.
“This was an extremely difficult decision, and one we did not take lightly," Averbuch West said in a letter to fans. ”After thoughtful consultation with coach Juan Carlos Amorós, our team captains, and our ownership, we felt it was important to prioritize a playing surface that appropriately allows our athletes to perform at their best. Providing our players with a high-quality surface to compete is a responsibility we take very seriously.”
Amorós had decried the state of the field at Sports Illustrated Stadium following Gotham's 1-0 quarterfinal victory over the Seattle Reign on Sunday. "I feel the obligation to almost apologize for the state of the pitch,” he said after the game.
The field was riddled with brown spots and divots for the quarterfinal against the Reign. The day before, the stadium hosted Major League Soccer’s Red Bulls in their regular-season finale against Atlanta United. A rugby match was held at the venue earlier in the week.
Icahn Stadium holds just 5,000 fans, far fewer than Sports Illustrated Stadium, which seats more than 20,000.
“We fully understand and appreciate the impact this has on our fans, and we are equally disappointed that we won’t have the opportunity to play in front of more of our supporters at our usual home venue,” Averbuch West wrote to the team's fans. “Unfortunately, we were faced with a difficult situation, and at the end of the day, the game is played on the field. Our responsibility is to provide our players with the best possible conditions to compete, and ultimately, we felt we had to prioritize the playing surface.”
Tickets for the match will be released in phases, with the first phase open to season-ticket holders.
"A smaller stadium means many of you will not be there, and that is the hardest part of this decision. You have turned every ground where we have played into home, and that does not change on Sunday,” Gotham captain Tierna Davidson said.
The problems at Sports Illustrated Stadium weren't the only stadium issue for NWSL teams in the playoffs. The Washington Spirit have a conflict with a college football game going into a semifinal match against the Utah Royals on Saturday.
Audi Field was set to host the Secretaries' Cup between the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, but the Spirit announced Sunday night after a 4-1 quarterfinal win over the Portland Thorns that the semifinal would be played at the venue.
It was unclear if the football game was moved to a different time, day or venue. Emails seeking clarification from the organizers were not immediately returned Monday.
The winners of this weekend's semifinals will advance to the NWSL championship on Nov. 21 at Audi Field, which was announced as the championship host venue in June. Gotham, the top seed in the playoffs, are the defending NWSL champions.
