Gotham FC announced on Monday afternoon that the club will play its Sunday NWSL semifinal playoff match against the Kansas City Current at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan.
The 3 p.m. Eastern Time match will be carried on ABC and ESPN Deportes.
Club governor Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West and captain Tierna Davidson each released statements regarding the decision to host the match at Icahn Stadium after the Bats were forced to play on a substandard playing surface in this past Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Seattle Reign FC at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Following the quarterfinal victory, several Gotham FC players and head coach Juan Carlos Amorós expressed their frustration about the condition of the Sports Illustrated Stadium pitch.
“I feel almost obligated to apologize for the state of the pitch,” Amorós said during his post-match press conference.
Gotham FC veteran defender Jess Carter stated her frustration with the playing surface when she came through the mixed zone after Sunday’s contest, and midfielder Jaelin Howell described the surface as “sandy” and “unstable.”
In addition to Red Bull New York and Gotham FC matches, the Sports Illustrated pitch has taken a beating from holding several other events. The venue served as a FIFA World Cup fan hub, has been used as a concert venue as well and has hosted rugby doubleheaders.
Red Bull New York is scheduled to play a postseason friendly this Saturday against Mexican side Club América at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Tisch Blodgett: ‘We Exhausted Every Possible Avenue Before Making This Decision’
“For the first time in club history, our players have earned the right to host a semifinal match at home, and our fans have earned the opportunity to be part of that historic moment,” Tisch Blodgett said. “Unfortunately, given the field conditions, we have made the extremely difficult decision to relocate our semifinal game to Icahn Stadium. We exhausted every possible avenue before making this decision, and we are deeply disappointed that so many of our fans will now be unable to experience this moment alongside our team.
“Our players deserve a playing surface that meets the standards of a professional semifinal, and our fans deserve the opportunity to support them. We have worked tirelessly to deliver on both and are disappointed that we cannot. We are grateful to Icahn Stadium for working with us on such short notice to ensure our team has a place to compete for a Championship spot on Sunday.”
Gotham Made Decision To Play at Icahn Stadium Following Internal Discussions
Averbuch West explained that the decision to play the semifinal at Icahn Stadium was made after discussions with Amorós, the club’s dressing room leaders and ownership.
“This was an extremely difficult decision, and one we did not take lightly,” Averbuch West said. “After thoughtful consultation with coach 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, and we appreciate Icahn Stadium stepping up to ensure this happens.
“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 home stadium. 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.”
Gotham Captain Davidson on Sports Illustrated Stadium Pitch: ‘We Got a Field That Is Not the Standard’
Davidson described the Sports Illustrated Stadium pitch as failing to meet the standard of the club, the league and its fans.
“We as a team worked extremely hard to earn a home playoff berth — what we got was a field that is not the standard this club, this league or our fans deserve,” Davidson said. “The quality of the game is not up for debate, so we’ve made the difficult decision to move to Icahn Stadium on Sunday.
“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. We have never needed a perfect setting to make a place ours. Bring everything you have on Sunday, and we will leave it all on the field.”
Should Gotham defeat Kansas City on Sunday, the Bats will move on to play in the 2026 NWSL Championship Game at Washington, D.C.’s Audi Field on November 21.
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