The National Women’s Soccer League Championship game is moving from Portland, OR to Louisville, KY. The update was released in a joint statement today from the NWSL and NWSL Players Association. The players made the request for the venue change.
“The NWSL and the NWSL Players Association have made progress over the past week on issues concerning player safety, transparency, and moving the League forward in a new direction,” read the statement.
The earlier announcement that Portland would host the game was met with broad criticism from players, coaches, and fans. Those items drawing the most fire were the match being played on a turf surface, and a 9:00 AM local start time to accommodate the CBS network broadcast schedule. The early kickoff would have forced players to and eat their pregame meal and begin preparations well before dawn.
Although the game will still take place within the same time window, the move to the Eastern time zone means the game will start at 12:00 noon local time on November 20th on CBS.
Addressing another priority the players had for the game, Lynn Family Stadium provides a soccer-specific field with a grass surface.
“We realize the impact this has on the fans who have bought tickets and made travel arrangements. We hope that our fans will understand that this move is made with the support of the NWSL, the Players Association, the Portland Thorns, and Racing Louisville,” the players and league said in their joint statement.
“Portland understood the importance of listening to the players, and Louisville stepped up to host. Players embraced the opportunity to kickoff at noon local time in another fantastic venue. We sincerely hope that fans will consider making the move east with us, or that you watch this historic game on CBS.”
The Thorns released a statement about the relocation stating that the club supports “the NWSL Players Association and their decision to move the NWSL Championship game from Portland to Louisville.”
“We were the only NWSL club that submitted an initial bid to host the game despite the early 9 AM kickoff time, which was less than ideal for our fans and players. We are happy there is a resolution that works for all parties.”
Regarding the NWSPA’s list of demands, the league and players report that they have come to an agreement on several items. Both sides have agreed to a 5-day extension on the outstanding issues.
An updated statement will be released when the two sides come to an agreement on the Players Association’s full list of demands.
