The Washington Spirit to host two matches with spectators at their 5000-seat stadium in Leesburg, VA in April.

Rick Bowmer / AP Photo

Washington Spirit fans can dust off their jerseys next month when the team will host fans at their matches at Segra Field in Leesburg, following a year without ticket sales due to the pandemic.

While announcing their 2021 schedule of matches this week, the team said they will allow a maximum of 1,000 fans to attend two home matches for the Challenge Cup, played by the National Women’s Soccer League. The first match takes place on April 16 against Racing Louisville and the second is on April 27 against Sky Blue FC from New Jersey. According to the team’s site, season ticket holders will have first dibs on tickets starting April 6 and April 8 for the general public.

The Washington Post was the first to report the news.

Virginia’s latest COVID-19 guidelines allow for a maximum of 1,000 seats — or a fifth of the 5,000-seat stadium — to be filled for matches. Meanwhile, the District’s health guidelines don’t allow for crowds inside stadiums like the Spirit’s Audi Field in Southeast, which can hold 20,000 people.

Last summer, the Spirit was the first D.C. team to return to play (and earn a victory) after the pandemic postponed most professional sports. The team was knocked out of the Challenge Cup in July, bested by Sky Blue. The tournament was played without fans in attendance.

Another D.C. team, the Washington Nationals, were approved to play home games last week, but without spectators. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has indicated that she may loosen some COVID restrictions in mid-March.

“We are assessing the prevalence of new, more transmissible viral strains on the progress we are making through our various public health measures, including our vaccination program,” Chris Rodriguez, the director of D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, wrote to Nationals senior vice president Gregory McCarthy. “With you, we are looking forward to fans returning to Nats Park. Answers as to how many and when are still premature.”

After the Washington Spirit’s month-long Challenge Cup, the team hopes to play their regular season matches at Audi Field and Segra Field starting May 15. All of the Challenge Cup matches will stream on Paramount+, per the team’s site.