San Diego Wave FC announced Friday that due to poor field conditions at Snapdragon Stadium, their match this weekend against Racing Louisville FC will be played in Louisville, Kentucky.
“The safety and well-being of all players is our top priority, and the current field conditions at Snapdragon Stadium, which are the responsibility of a third party, have not met the standards required for a safe playing environment,” the club’s statement said. “A thorough review of the field was conducted and all alternative options within Southern California were exhausted; however, the league ultimately determined that moving the game to Louisville was the best solution.”
The match, set for 5:30 on Sunday, will now take place at Lynn Family Stadium. Racing announced ticket sales for the relocated match Friday, and due to the short notice, decided to make it general admission. The match will still air on ESPN.
Sunday’s regular season finale against San Diego Wave FC has moved to Lynn Family Stadium!#RacingLou season ticket members will receive a complimentary ticket to the match, with tickets on sale to the public for just $10.
“To see this game move home is a major opportunity for… pic.twitter.com/hMPlSp9R4b
— Racing Louisville FC (@RacingLouFC) November 1, 2024
The NWSL and players from the Wave evaluated the playing surface at Snapdragon Stadium early this week. The Wave made the call to move the game for player safety reasons.
The choice to move the match is significant for both teams.
For Racing, currently in ninth place in the NWSL standings and hoping to crash the playoffs on the final weekend, a home game could be a major momentum swing. But Louisville isn’t guaranteed a chance to play for a quarterfinal berth, with both the Portland Thorns (in seventh place) and Bay FC (in eighth place) each only needing a single point to clinch and keep Racing out. Portland plays Friday night at home; Bay FC is in Houston on Saturday.
For the Wave, it was set to be a fan appreciation night as the previously-eliminated team’s season came to a close. They also had planned a ceremony for Emily Van Egmond’s 100th NWSL appearance and giveaways among other activations. Alex Morgan was set to appear during the pregame ceremonies to honor her retirement, but a team spokesperson said that her official celebration will now take place during the 2025 NWSL season.
Field conditions at Snapdragon Stadium are not a new issue for the Wave. The stadium was the site of multiple season-ending injuries for NWSL players last year, including McCall Zerboni, Taylor Smith and Abby Smith of Gotham FC, as well as Seattle Reign’s Megan Rapinoe in the 2023 NWSL Championship.
The NWSL club is a tenant of the facility and does not control the venue that also houses San Diego State University football and a professional rugby team. Things could get in 2025 with the addition of MLS expansion side San Diego FC.
Field conditions have been raised as a concern over the past month in San Diego, with interim head coach Landon Donovan telling reporters that “outside of replacing the whole field” there was not much that could be done to address it. Donovan also noted that there was a considerable amount of sand on the field, which slowed players down.
(Top photo: Ray Acevedo / USA TODAY Sports)
