Gotham FCs home semifinal match moved over field quality issues

For the first time in franchise history, Gotham FC is set to host its semifinal match next weekend.But there’s an unfortunate twist.Gotham’s semifinal match against the Kansas City Current won’t be played at the club’s typical stomping grounds in Harrison, New Jersey.Instead, Gotham agreed to move Sunday’s match to Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island for better playing surface quality.“This was an extremely difficult decision, and one we did not take lightly,” Gotham president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West said in a letter to fans.

“After thoughtful consultation with coach Juan Carlos 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.”Gotham is a tenant of Major League Soccer’s Red Bull New York at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

The Red Bulls are scheduled to play an exhibition game there Saturday night, exacerbating concerns about the field quality.The state of Sports Illustrated Stadium’s pitch has been a cause for concern over the past two weeks.ESPN reported the NWSL fined Gotham $10,000 for poor field conditions during last week’s regular-season finale, after which the club was awarded its first league Shield.The pitch condition was once again a major sticking point after Gotham’s ugly quarterfinal win against the Seattle Reign.Retiring Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock called the field “atrocious.” Gotham defender Jess Carter was overheard saying the grounds were “so bad” when walking through the tunnel after the match.A week after Jaelin Howell injured her right ankle during a home game, the Gotham midfielder said the field was “pretty sandy” and “a little unstable.”Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós acknowledged the rough conditions impacted the quality of the game.“At this level, in this kind...