New York City FC today announced a venue change for the Club’s final regular season game on Sunday, October 22. Due to the New York Yankees advancing to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) as part of the 2017 MLB Playoffs, NYCFC’s match vs. Columbus Crew SC has been relocated to Citi Field in Queens. The match will remain at 4 p.m.
Due to additional preparations during the MLB Playoffs, there is insufficient time to convert Yankee Stadium should the Yankees progress beyond the ALCS to the World Series.
The ALCS begins October 13 and has the potential to conclude on October 21. As a result, moving the match to an alternate venue with such short notice - should the Yankees advance - would not be feasible due to ticketing, pitch and operational requirements. Additionally, it is important for our sporting department to know where the game is taking place as far in advance as possible.
Citi Field, home to the New York Mets, is a multi-purpose venue which has hosted various soccer matches and is easily accessible by mass transportation making it a great alternative venue to host the game.
Sporting Director Claudio Reyna said: “Citi Field is an excellent ballpark which has hosted international soccer matches in the past. From a Sporting perspective, this represents an easy transition which would allow our team to get the result we will be looking for.”
New York City FC President Jon Patricof said: “While we are happy for our partners, the New York Yankees, we understand that relocating a home game is a significant challenge for fans. We feel Citi Field will give our team the best chance of success on the field and provide a good environment for our incredible fans.”
New York City FC has clinched a spot in the 2017 MLS Playoffs and currently stands in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference with two regular season games remaining.
All fans that currently have tickets to the match originally scheduled for October 22 at Yankee Stadium will receive an email with ticketing options. Additionally, they will receive access to a special pre-sale to secure tickets to the match at Citi Field at a discounted rate.
Additional information regarding tickets for this match is available at www.NYCFC.com/Oct22. Fans can also call 855-77-NYCFC or email fanservices@nycfc.com for more details.
