Leagues Cup game moved from D.C. over poor field condition

The Leagues Cup match between D.C. United and Santos Laguna on July 31 will be relocated to Philadelphia Union’s Subaru Park due to the unsatisfactory state of the pitch at D.C.’s Audi Field, the competition’s organizers announced Friday.

The Major League Soccer team will also face a fine, with the organization prioritizing the safety and health of players.

“Due to concerns with the condition of the playing surface at D.C. United’s stadium, the Leagues Cup 2024 match between Santos Laguna and D.C. United, originally scheduled for July 31, will be relocated to Subaru Park in Chester, PA, and rescheduled for July 31 at 8:00 pm ET,” the Leagues Cup organizing committee said in a statement.

“This decision was made by the Leagues Cup organizing committee in coordination with both LIGA MX and MLS to ensure the best possible conditions for the competition. As a result of this situation, D.C. United will be issued an undisclosed economic sanction.”

Since the beginning of July, Audi Field has served as host to a variety of events including two MLS matches, an international rugby match between Scotland and the United States, a club friendly between D.C. United and Scottish giants Celtic and the U.S. women’s national team’s Olympics send-off match against Costa Rica.

Multiple USWNT players commented on the state of the field after the match on July 16, labeling the pitch “bumpy.”

“It was definitely a little bumpy,” midfielder Sam Coffey said. “We noticed that in our matchday-minus-one training. I think there have been a bunch of other events on this field. Kind of like the heat, you can’t do anything about it … It wasn’t the best field we’ve ever played on.”

Added forward Mallory Swanson: “The corners, there’s no secret that it was definitely [like] I was kicking into dirt.”

In a statement, D.C. United said it was “installing a new grass field at the club’s stadium on July 31 which was previously scheduled for Aug. 1.”

It added: “D.C. United apologizes to the fans who purchased tickets to witness the game in Washington, DC. While this is the first time this has happened at the stadium, D.C. United has put greater parameters in place to protect this from happening in the future.

The decision to move the Leagues Cup match comes after intense criticism of the playing fields provided to participants during the 2024 Copa America in the U.S. this summer. Players and coaches voiced harsh concerns over the artificial grass, pointing out the safety hazard of the situation.

“Sincerely, the field is not apt for these kinds of players. We gave not necessarily a good game, but a game according to the pitch and what the opponent proposed. We couldn’t do much more with the conditions of the pitch. Look at the speed of the passes that we did,” said Argentina national team head coach Lionel Scaloni of the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

D.C. United will kick off the tournament against Atlanta United on Friday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium before facing Santos Laguna in Philadelphia.

Ticket holders for the match are set to receive emails “regarding the status of their tickets as well as next steps.”