NWSL players not happy with site of championship, time

The National Women’s Soccer League announced this year’s NWSL Championship will be held at Portland’s Providence Park on Nov. 20, with a 9 a.m. Pacific time kickoff. Both the venue and the unusually early start time were met with disapproval from some of the league’s stars.

“Adding two new franchises next season with beautiful grass stadiums all around the country — moving in a great direction and then we choose turf to play the final of the best league in the world?!” Orlando Pride and U.S. women’s national team defender Ali Krieger tweeted Monday. “Wow.”

Providence Park has hosted the NWSL Championship twice before, most recently in 2018 before a record championship game crowd of 21,144. With a capacity of 25,218, the home of the Portland Thorns is one of the largest venues in the growing 10team league, which will welcome franchises in Los Angeles and San Diego in 2022, but it’s also the only one without a natural grass playing surface.

“Great,”orlando Pride and U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris tweeted. “Throw us on turf. Sounds like an awesome idea. What’s next another baseball field?”

Harris was also among the players who expressed disappointment that the league would stage its marquee event at such an early time. The 9 a.m. local kickoff (noon Eastern time) is to accommodate live coverage on CBS, which will feature its usual college football programming throughout the afternoon.

“9am start time is laughable,” Harris wrote.“im tired of staying quiet. We deserve better.”