The Washington Spirit plays its home matches at Maryland SoccerPlex in the outer reaches of Montgomery County, a distant location for city dwellers and those reliant on public transportation. But for one game this summer, the National Women’s Soccer League team will call Washington its home.
And if all goes well, the Spirit might feel encouraged to play more often at Audi Field in the future.
Washington has signed a contract to play at D.C. United’s 20,000-capacity venue Aug. 25 against the defending champion Portland Thorns. The complex is scheduled to open July 14.
The kickoff time for the women’s match has not been finalized but is expected to fall in the evening. Tickets through a pre-sale and public sale is in the process of being finalized.
When the NWSL schedule was released, the site of that August match was left open. Behind the scenes, the Spirit organization was in talks with United officials about arranging the game at the new stadium in Southwest D.C., two blocks from Nationals Park.
It’s unclear how much the Spirit will pay to use the facility or what size crowd it needs to break even. United’s investors are spending $250 million on the venue, which will replace RFK Stadium as the team’s home after 22 seasons. The city earmarked $150 million toward land acquisition and infrastructure upgrades. The MLS team will oversee stadium operations and event schedule.
The last weekend in August was optimal for the Spirit because both United and the Washington Nationals are on the road. (Both play in the New York area.) The soccer and baseball stadiums are close enough that, for crowd control and logistical purposes, United will avoid scheduling games on the same day as the Nationals or stagger the start time.
The Spirit, in its sixth season, has played every home match at Maryland SoccerPlex, a 5,200-capacity facility in Boyds, 30 miles northwest of the National Mall. Over the years, crowds have typically numbered between 2,500 and 5,000. By playing in the city, at a venue that sits 10 minutes by foot from the Navy Yard Metro station, the Spirit will test the waters for additional matches in the hub of the metro area in future seasons.
The Spirit’s visit will not be the only non-United event during a congested MLS schedule at Audi Field this year. The Maryland and Virginia men’s teams are tentatively scheduled to play there on Labor Day weekend and a summer concert is in the works (performers have not been publicly identified yet). Stadium officials are aiming to draw several other events, including international soccer, college football and rugby, in 2019.
The Spirit (1-2-1) will host the Chicago Red Stars (2-1-2) this Saturday night at SoccerPlex.