Players from Gotham FC and the Kansas City Current have called for women’s sports teams to be better prioritized by stadium operators amid issues surrounding both venues for this weekend’s NWSL semifinals.
Gotham will play its semifinal against Kansas City on Sunday in the 5,000-seat Icahn Stadium in New York City after determining that the field at their usual home, Sports Illustrated Stadium, was unfit to play.
The NWSL’s other semifinal between the Washington Spirit and Utah Royals on Saturday will be played with yellow soccer lines over American football lines, and football goalposts partially installed, due to a scheduling conflict at Audi Field.
The problems follow similar issues over the availability of suitable venues for the recent WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries.
“We’ve seen it in the WNBA just recently,” Gotham defender and co-captain Tierna Davidson told ESPN’s Futbol W.
“I think it’s really disappointing to see that these fantastic franchises and teams are struggling to secure their home field in moments that are kind of predictable in the sense of, you have these dates very far in advance and they are not confirmed but they certainly are circled on the calendar and the goal that all these teams are working towards.
“It’s important to continue to put the pressure on these venues and really force them to make those difficult decisions and sit with those decisions, if it is a decision not in favor of a women’s team, because it’s the respect that we deserve.”
Gotham FC defeated the Seattle Reign 1-0 on Sunday in a game that was marred by a pitch that players and coaches from sides lamented, calling it “s—” and “atrocious.” There were visible sand patches inside and around the field of play, along with brown patches throughout.
MLS side Red Bull New York operates Sports Illustrated Stadium, where Gotham FC is a tenant until moving to Etihad Park in Queens in 2028. ESPN previously reported that Gotham officials worked to find and fund solutions to resod or repair the field at Sports Illustrated Stadium ahead of the semifinals, but Gotham, NWSL and Red Bull New York officials could not agree on a solution.
The Red Bulls host Club América on Saturday in an exhibition and there was no guarantee that one of the solutions involving artificial grass stitched into the existing natural grass would be ready in time for Saturday.
Gotham and the NWSL ultimately decided to move Sunday’s semifinal to Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island. It is a facility that primarily hosts amateur events, with a running track surrounding the field.
The decision came after days of uncertainty surrounding multiple potential semifinal venues for the league. Most NWSL teams are secondary tenants in their home stadiums. Kansas City is the only 2026 playoff team that owns its stadium.
“Regardless of where we play, we’re going to show up,” Kansas City defender and NWSL Players Association representative Kayla Sharples told reporters on Friday. “What’s important is our focus on our performance, and we’ll absolutely play at our best and show up on Sunday.
“But with that being said, it’s been really disappointing and frustrating that a lot of the headlines leading into the semifinal game have been about poor, very poor, surface quality, and also stadium availability. You wouldn’t necessarily see that in the men’s game. So, it has been disappointing. The fact that players reach the pinnacle of their careers only to find that the stage has failed to rise with them.
“That’s definitely a factor. And Gotham won the Shield, they did everything they could to deserve a home game as well and they’ve put a lot of effort into it. So, the fact that the game has moved to a 5,000 capacity is deeply frustrating for players of our caliber, of our profession.”
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Semifinals to played at Icon Stadium on Sunday
Davidson told ESPN’s Futbol W that part of the collective decision to play the semifinal at Icahn Stadium was “to remove that level of uncertainty and that bug in people’s brains.” She said that players were discussing the field conditions before, during and after the quarterfinal on Sunday.
Gotham sold out Icahn Stadium within minutes of tickets going on sale to the general public, following a phased rollout that gave season-ticket holders priority.
An announced crowd of over 11,000 fans watched Sunday’s quarterfinal at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
“I think women’s sports deserve more than being able to be in a place that only has 5,000 people,” Kansas City defender Izzy Rodriguez told ESPN’s Futbol W. “I know this decision was made for safety of players and with that in mind. But I think the biggest thing is just that we need to keep investing in women’s sports. We want everybody to have their own stadium so that this doesn’t become something in the future.”
Washington was also facing potential relocation of their semifinal from their usual stadium, Audi Field, because D.C. United — the MLS side that operates the venue — had booked an NCAA Division III football game for Saturday.
