San Diego Wave relocates final home match to Louisville citing field safety concerns

San Diego Wave FC are having their worst year to date.

The club decided to relocate their final home match on Sunday, November 2, to Louisville due to “ongoing player and field safety concerns at Snapdragon Stadium,” according to a statement released by the team. 

“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. 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.”

Snapdragon Stadium released a statement in response to the decision by the NWSL. 

“We are disappointed with the (NWSL) decision to move Sunday’s Match from Snapdragon Stadium. Although we recognize the aesthetics of the field do not meet our desired expectations, we are confident in our readiness to play a match on Sunday in safe conditions,” the statement said. “Several factors, including high demand for field use and weather have affected the turf, but we are dedicated to investing resources, specialized expertise and advanced technology to address these challenges going forward.

“We are actively evaluating its condition and our maintenance program to make necessary improvements. Our commitment includes integrating grow lights, exploring additional sod farm opportunities, evaluating different grass types, and adopting diverse installation methods.”

The field conditions have been an issue from even before the NWSL season during the Concacaf W Gold Cup when the pitch was waterlogged barely allowing the ball to roll on the pitch because of puddles of water in a semi-final match between USA and Canada.

A multitude of issues have surrounded the Wave in 2024.

The club fired its award-winning head coach, Casey Stoney, during a seven-match winless streak. They didn’t advance out of the group stage in the Concacaf W Champion’s Cup. They failed to qualify for the NWSL playoffs, and are in second-to-last place in the NWSL standings. 

The club also faces off the field issues as the Wave are being sued by five former employees for discrimination and sexual harassment among other disturbing allegations. Wave president Jill Ellis also filed a defamation lawsuit against one of those employees, and that employee filed an anti-SLAPP motion in response. 

Ironically, Stoney, was fined by the NWSL in 2023 for comments in a post-match press conference about the field conditions in Louisville in which now retired Wave star, Alex Morgan, was left off the roster. 

Stoney said “we didn’t know what the surface was going to be like either, notoriously we come here and it’s been a poor surface.”

The match may have playoff implications for the final spot in the NWSL playoffs for Racing Louisville and last place in the league for the Wave if the Houston Dash beat Bay FC the day prior and Louisville win against San Diego. The match will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. PST