HARRISON, N.J. — Gotham FC secured a place in the NWSL semifinals Sunday with a 1-0 victory over Seattle Reign FC, but the condition of the playing surface at Sports Illustrated Stadium became the biggest story of the afternoon.
Seattle head coach Laura Harvey did not hold back when discussing the field following her team’s elimination, questioning how the league could allow a postseason contest to be played under such conditions.
“Let’s be real, there’s no way a playoff game should be played on that,” Harvey told ESPN. “I just can’t believe they’ve allowed it. They knew it last week.”
The field featured sandy areas and noticeable brown patches, creating difficult playing conditions for both clubs. According to Harvey, Gotham had already been fined $10,000 by the NWSL because of the field’s condition during the previous week’s regular-season finale. ESPN subsequently confirmed the fine.
Gotham does not own or control Sports Illustrated Stadium, which is primarily occupied by the New York Red Bulls. The venue hosted a rugby match two days before Gotham’s regular-season finale and an MLS contest Saturday night. Sunday’s quarterfinal took place approximately 18 hours after the Red Bulls game concluded.
The condition of the surface appeared to influence the way both teams approached the match.
Gotham managed to advance without recording a single shot on target, becoming the first team in NWSL history to win a match without putting an attempt on goal. The decisive moment came just four minutes into the contest when Jaedyn Shaw delivered a corner kick that deflected off Seattle defender Jordyn Bugg and into the net for an own goal.
That early mistake proved costly for the Reign, who could not find an equalizer.
Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amoros acknowledged the poor condition of the field and said he felt an obligation to address it, particularly because his team benefited from the result.
“I feel the obligation to almost apologize for the state of the pitch,” Amoros said.
Amoros explained that the playing surface forced players to concentrate more on controlling the ball than anticipating their next move. The unpredictable bounces and unstable footing disrupted the rhythm of the game and affected both teams’ ability to execute their usual style of play.
“When you play on a pitch like that, you cannot be thinking of the next action of what you are going to do when you get the ball,” Amoros said. “You need to be looking at the ball because it can bounce at any given time.”
Gotham midfielder Jaelin Howell, who was listed as questionable after suffering an ankle injury on the same field the previous week, started Sunday’s match. She admitted the surface was sandy and unstable but said both teams had to compete under the same circumstances.
Howell said she focused on contributing to her team rather than allowing the field conditions to become a distraction.
Gotham defender Jess Carter also expressed frustration with the playing surface, describing it as extremely poor while walking through the stadium tunnel after the final whistle.
Seattle midfielder Jess Fishlock, who announced her retirement and played the final match of her career Sunday, was equally critical, calling the field “atrocious.”
For Harvey, the conditions made the defeat even more difficult to accept. She acknowledged that Seattle had opportunities but questioned whether the surface played a role in the team’s inability to convert them.
Harvey said the Reign noticed the problems during pregame warmups and understood that the field would affect the match. She also recognized that Gotham faced the same challenges.
Still, she believes the league must take greater responsibility for the quality of its playing surfaces, particularly during the postseason.
“We’re 15 years in and we are letting that happen? What are we doing?” Harvey said.
Harvey added that the league’s responsibility should extend beyond simply staging games. The quality of the playing environment, she argued, is essential to producing a competitive product that fans want to watch.
Stadium scheduling creates more questions
The controversy surrounding Sunday’s match comes during a week of uncertainty over stadium availability for the 2026 NWSL playoffs.
Sports Illustrated Stadium is scheduled to host Club América in a friendly against the New York Red Bulls next Saturday, creating a conflict with one of the league’s semifinal television windows. The scheduling issue raised the possibility that Gotham, the top playoff seed and NWSL Shield winner, could be forced to move its semifinal to Icahn Stadium in New York City, which holds approximately 5,000 spectators.
However, the Washington Spirit’s victory over the Portland Thorns in the other quarterfinal created another possible scheduling complication. Gotham could now host its Nov. 15 semifinal at Sports Illustrated Stadium, potentially requiring Washington to relocate its match.
The Spirit normally play at Audi Field, but the stadium is already booked Saturday for an NCAA Division III football game. Washington is scheduled to face the Utah Royals in the semifinals.
San Diego Wave FC also encountered a stadium scheduling conflict. The second-seeded Wave were eliminated by Utah in Friday’s quarterfinal, but Snapdragon Stadium was unavailable for a potential Saturday semifinal because of an NCAA Division I football game.
Gotham’s possible return to Sports Illustrated Stadium presents another concern. With the Red Bulls scheduled to play Club América the previous evening, the playing surface could face another demanding turnaround before the semifinal.
For Harvey, the issue goes beyond Sunday’s result. She believes the league must address the condition of its fields and ensure that postseason matches are played on surfaces that meet professional standards.
“We can ignore it and not talk about it, or we can be really honest about it,” Harvey said. “And if what we’re trying to create is a product that people want to watch — they don’t want to watch that. Who wants to watch that?”
