Gotham FC's move to Etihad Park cannot come soon enough after stadium debacle

Unless someone has been living under a rock, NWSL and NJ/NY Gotham FC fans have constantly heard about the stadium debacle for the Bats. The team unfortunately has to play at Icahn Stadium in the semifinals of the NWSL Playoffs after poor pitch conditions at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Both the NJ/NY side and Seattle Reign FC complained after Sunday's quarterfinals, and rightfully so.

Parts of the pitch were sandy and unstable. Some parts looked like they could be dangerous, and multiple players spoke out about how bad it was. As a result, the semifinal match against the Kansas City Current will not be the same, as Icahn only holds about 5,000 attendees. Moreover, this is just another reason why the move to Etihad Park cannot come soon enough.

Gotham FC's stadium issues

As a reminder, what was the stadium debacle with Gotham FC? Before the pitch conditions forced the change in venues, there was also a possibility that the Bats would have to play at Icahn due to the New York Red Bulls' friendly this Saturday. Despite the fact that the NWSL game would have been in the early afternoon, and the match of no importance would have been in the evening, RBNY refused to allow their tenants to play that day if they had to.

Gotham would have played on Saturday depending on whether the Washington Spirit lost their match, but thankfully, a win meant that the Bats would play on Sunday. And if not for the poor pitch, they would have played at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

Gotham FC fans should blame RBNY

So, combining the possible issue with scheduling and then the atrocities with the pitch, it is really easy for Gotham FC fans to be upset, and rightfully so. It is also easy to think that RBNY is spiteful about the club's eventual move to Etihad Park in 2028.

Firstly, if the match were to occur on Saturday, they refused to let the Bats play at the earlier time. Even if the NWSL game went all the way to penalty kicks, there would have been plenty of time for fans to leave the playoff game and for RBNY fans to make their way into the stadium for the meaningless game, as the fixtures start at 12:00 PM and 7:30 PM, respectively.

Additionally, the Red Bulls could have utilized the two games to try to encourage fans to attend both and spend the day at the stadium. This is silly on their part, as they could have earned more money via ticket sales. Instead, the Major League Soccer club decided to publicly express their spite toward Gotham rather than being a team player.

Plus, the original statement they released screams bitterness: "We wish Gotham FC the best of luck in their semifinal at Icahn Stadium. We look forward to our match on Saturday at Sports Illustrated Stadium." That was it. The team did eventually release a longer statement, claiming that the pitch is inspected year-round for all events. They also added that they tried to address the NWSL's concerns about the pitch, but there was no guarantee that "the additional work they wanted to be completed could be done in time."

The big question is this: how can the Red Bulls find their pitch acceptable? More importantly, with the additional events occurring at the stadium since the partnership with Sports Illustrated Tickets, why did the club and grounds crew not come up with a plan to ensure that the field conditions are maintained even with the other events? And perhaps the club needs to rethink having other events, especially sporting ones, until the Bats move out.

Sadly, the issue with the pitch lies with RBNY and Sports Illustrated Stadium. Gotham FC could not make decisions about the conditions, as the club is merely a tenant. Hopefully, this will not happen at Etihad Park, and New York City FC will not treat the NWSL club in this way. This also acts a reminder to the Pigeons, as they must ensure that their pitch does not look like this after either the MLS or NWSL season.

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