Washington Spirit Will Host NWSL Semi-Final at Audi Field
Washington Spirit will play their NWSL semi-final at home, at Audi Field, on Saturday 14 November. The NWSL is the National Women's Soccer League, the top women's club competition in the United States. The Spirit reached a deal to avoid playing the match at Northwest Stadium instead.
The Spirit announced the arrangement late on Sunday 8 November. Their opponents are Utah Royals, and the kick-off is at noon Eastern Time. Washington Spirit said the game will be played at the ground they have used full time since 2023.
Northwest Stadium is the home of the NFL's Washington Commanders, the American football team. Audi Field belongs to Major League Soccer's DC United, who own and run the stadium. The Spirit are not its main tenants, but they have a long relationship with the ground.
The Spirit earned their place by winning 4-1 against Portland Thorns in the quarter-final. They entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed, meaning the third-best team in the regular-season table, which decides the order of playoff matchups.
The other semi-final has a bumpier backstory. Gotham FC, the top seed and 2026 Shield winners (the Shield goes to the team with the best regular-season record), are moving away from their usual home. The Guardian reported that Gotham will leave Sports Illustrated Stadium, which is owned by MLS's New York Red Bulls, because of poor pitch quality.
Gotham will instead host Kansas City Current at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island in New York City. The ground holds 5,000 spectators. The match is on Sunday 15 November at 3pm Eastern Time. Gotham beat Seattle 1-0 to reach this stage.
The same report said the league had reportedly fined Gotham $10,000 over the state of the pitch in their regular-season finale on 4 November.
The semi-finals run from 13 to 15 November. The winners meet in the NWSL Championship on Saturday 21 November, which is also at Audi Field. So the Spirit could be playing their way into a title match on home turf, if they win on Saturday.
For Spirit supporters, the next few days mean a short trip to a familiar stadium. For neutral fans, it is a reminder that a playoff game depends on more than the players on the field. Where the match is played, and what the grass is like, can change the story before a ball is kicked.
