Gotham FC will play at Icahn Stadium in the semifinals of the NWSL Playoffs

In the lead-up to the NWSL Playoffs, there were questions about where teams would possibly play in the semifinals. Scheduling conflicts were sadly clouding the excitement of the postseason, and the same can be said about NJ/NY Gotham FC. Before and after the win against Seattle Reign FC in the quarterfinals, there was the chance of having to move the semifinal match against the Kansas City Current due to a scheduling conflict with the New York Red Bulls. Things changed, though, on Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately, Gotham FC and the NWSL have decided that the location of the upcoming playoff match. The fixture will be played at Icahn Stadium, which only houses about 5,000 spectators. The move from Sports Illustrated Stadium comes not because of the scheduling conflict, but rather due to the condition of the pitch.

Originally, if the playoff game was going to be scheduled on Saturday, Gotham and the Current would have had to play at Icahn due to the Red Bulls' friendly on Saturday night. However, with the Washington Spirit's win, that means the Bats will play on Sunday. But this time, the game was still moved due to the awful pitch, which saw complaints from both the NJ/NY side and Seattle on Sunday.

This is clearly not ideal for supporters. Gotham FC Governor Carolyn Tisch Blodgett recognized this in her statement regarding the move:

"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. 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.”

It is a shame that the game could not be at Sports Illustrated Stadium. But the pitch was poor enough that even Gotham players were complaining after the quarterfinals. Safety obviously comes first, but there is no question that fans and the players will suffer from having to play at a venue that could easily turn into a neutral game, rather than having a home advantage.

Meanwhile, there is the question of why RBNY will still play their friendly at the stadium. But perhaps because it is a friendly, players can be careful and not give their all. Gotham FC, on the other hand, must play their best against a tough Kansas City side. It is not ideal, but at least fans were able to see the Bats lift the NWSL Shield at home.