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The NWSL and Washington Spirit have announced that both upcoming Challenge Cup home matches will be relocated from Segra Field in Leesburg, VA to Audi Field in the District. Additionally, the Spirit’s first match of the tournament against Racing Louisville have been moved up a day from Friday, April 16 to Thursday, April 15.
The Louisville game will no longer have tickets available for fans. Previously, both Segra Field games were set to have up to 1,000 tickets available. Washington is still planning to sell what the Spirit tell Black and Red United will be “a limited amount” of tickets to the second match (4/27 against Sky Blue FC), with the club announcing that members of their Full 90 Club will get to purchase tickets on April 13. Tickets will go on sale for the general public on April 15 at 10am.
The Spirit played a preseason game at Audi Field last weekend, falling 2-1 to Sky Blue. Previously in full NWSL competition, they’ve played three times on Buzzard Point, falling to a 1-0 loss to the Portland Thorns in 2018, and then getting one win and one draw in two matches in 2019.
The NWSL regular schedule remains unannounced, and it remains unclear what the balance of Spirit games will be in terms of shuttling between Audi Field and Segra Field this year. If the Spirit qualify to host the Challenge Cup final, they would have one more game to host, with the venue for that match not completely settled yet.