Gotham FC is moving its November 15 NWSL semifinal against Kansas City Current to the 5,000-seat Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan, Forbes reports. The club cited poor field conditions at its regular home, Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, as the reason for relocating. Source Source
That means a championship berth will be decided at a venue with one-fifth the capacity of Gotham’s usual 25,000-seat home. Forbes puts attendance for the club’s quarterfinal at just over 11,000—more than twice what Icahn can accommodate. The stakes haven’t shrunk. The seating has. Source
The move follows Gotham’s 1–0 quarterfinal win over Seattle Reign. According to Forbes, players and coaches from both teams complained about turf that was bare and sandy in spots. Source
“What we got was a field that is not the standard this club, this league or our fans deserve,” Gotham captain Tierna Davidson said, as quoted by Forbes. Source
Gotham governor Carolyn Tisch Blodgett described this as the first time the club had earned the right to host a semifinal at home. She said the team had “exhausted every possible avenue before making this decision” and expressed disappointment at limiting the number of supporters who could attend, according to Forbes. Some reward for earning hosting rights. Source
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