As part of a bid to increase regional popularity and ultimately fill the stands at Audi Field on a consistent basis, the Washington Spirit will play home games at three different soccer stadiums during the 2020 season.
The team, which is part of the National Women’s Soccer League, announced earlier this week that it will play four home games each at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md., Audi Field in D.C., and Segra Field in Leesburg, Va.
“We believe it is instrumental in developing the club … to where we ultimately have our players on the biggest stage for 10-plus games a year,” Spirit majority owner Steve Baldwin tells DCist.
In past seasons, the Spirit has typically hosted its home games at the SoccerPlex in Boyds, which holds a maximum of 5,300 people. After the 20,000-person Audi Field opened its doors at Buzzard Point in July 2018 as the home field of D.C. United, the Spirit played its first home game there a month later. It was seen as in part as a test of fan attendance.
After this summer’s Women’s World Cup, which included Spirit players Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh among the stars of Team USA, the team began selling out several games, including ones held at Audi Field. The Spirit more than doubled its previous attendance record at the Buzzard Point stadium, and its two games averaged 18,645 fans in attendance.
The fans were “electric,” at those games, Baldwin says. Playing to crowds of that size came with a larger fan experience, and the players loved it.
“Having a crowd that big feels like having an extra player on the field because there’s so much more energy and self-belief,” forward Ashley Hatch told reporters after the Audi Field game in August. Now, they hope to continue to build that audience.
This isn’t the only big news from the Spirit this week. Come 2021, the team is moving out of the SoccerPlex, its home for 13 seasons, Baldwin announced on Tuesday.
In 2021, the team will split its home games between the two other venues: seven matches at Audi and five matches at Segra Field, Baldwin says. After that, if its fanbase is strong enough, the Spirit hopes to play 10 or more games at Audi Field by 2022.
In the meantime, fans have expressed concerns about how to afford tickets at the different venues, Baldwin says. Fans have a choice of buying a full 12-game package that covers all of the games, a partial game package that covers all the games at a specific venue, or individual games for each match. To make transportation easier, the Spirit will also offer round trip bus transportation from Germantown to both Audi Field and Segra Field.
Baldwin notes that fans are also wondering how how the team will pay homage to the SoccerPlex, where many fans have shown their support for the Spirit since 2013. The team is still accepting feedback from fans on suggestions for ways it can show its appreciation of the SoccerPlex.
“All three venues will be our home,” Baldwin says. “We love the SoccerPlex. It’s a remarkable venue, a place that our players love, our club loves. We’re going to celebrate the SoccerPlex in all we do this year.”
