Gotham FC Shakes Up Semifinal Venue After Field Damage
The top seed will play Sunday at a 5,000-seat Manhattan venue instead of their New Jersey home due to poor pitch conditions.
By Rosa Wojcik ·
Gotham FC announced Monday that it will move its National Women's Soccer League semifinal match against the Kansas City Current from Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey to Icahn Stadium in Manhattan. The change comes after the team identified serious issues with the playing surface at their usual home ground.
Yael Averbuch West, the president of soccer operations, stated that the decision followed consultation with head coach Juan Carlos Amorós, team captains, and ownership. The club prioritized a high-quality surface to allow athletes to perform at their best. The new venue, located on Randall's Island, has a seating capacity of just 5,000, a stark contrast to the 20,000-plus seats at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Amorós expressed concern about the pitch after Gotham's 1-0 quarterfinal win over the Seattle Reign on Sunday. The field featured brown spots and divots during that match. The deterioration followed a busy schedule at the venue, which hosted the New York Red Bulls in their Major League Soccer regular-season finale against Atlanta United the day before. A rugby match also took place at the stadium earlier that week.
Averbuch West acknowledged the disappointment for supporters who will not be able to attend the game. The club plans to release tickets in phases, with the first wave available to season-ticket holders. Gotham captain Tierna Davidson told fans that the smaller stadium would be the hardest part of the decision, but noted that fans have turned every ground into a home.
This venue change is not the only logistical hurdle facing NWSL teams this weekend. The Washington Spirit face a scheduling conflict involving a college football game at Audi Field. The Spirit won 4-1 against the Portland Thorns on Sunday night and confirmed their semifinal against the Utah Royals will still be played at Audi Field on Saturday.
Organizers had scheduled a match between the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy for the same venue. It was unclear as of Monday whether the football game had been rescheduled or moved to a different location. Emails sent to organizers seeking clarification had not been returned.
The winner of the Gotham and Kansas City match will advance to the NWSL championship on Nov. 21. That final will also take place at Audi Field, a venue announced as the host site in June. Gotham enters the playoffs as the top seed and holds the title of defending NWSL champion.
