New York City FC announced on Thursday that their regular season finale against Columbus Crew SC next Sunday, Oct. 22 will be moved from Yankee Stadium to the New York Mets’ Citi Field in Queens.
The match is being moved due to the New York Yankees advancing to the American League Championship Series in the MLB Playoffs. The game will still kick off at 4 pm ET.
The Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the ALDS on Wednesday night to advance to the ALCS against the Houston Astros. The ALCS will begin on Friday in Houston and could conclude as late as Oct. 21. The Yankees final ALCS home game would be on Oct. 18; their first potential World Series home game would be on Oct. 27.
According to NYCFC, due to additional preparations during the MLB Playoffs, there would be insufficient time to convert the Yankee Stadium field should the Yankees progress to the World Series.
Citi Field has hosted various soccer matches in the past and is easily accessible by public transportation.
This is the second time NYCFC have relocated a game this year due to conflict with the Yankees. They moved their Sept. 23 match against the Houston Dynamo to East Hartford, Conn. after the Yankees had to reschedule a game due to a rainout earlier in the season.
“Citi Field is an excellent ballpark which has hosted international soccer matches in the past,” NYCFC sporting director Claudio Reyna said in a statement released by the club. “From a sporting perspective, this represents an easy transition which would allow our team to get the result we will be looking for.”
The match will likely have playoff implications for both NYCFC and Columbus. Both teams have already clinched their spot in the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, but both will be looking to secure the highest seed possible in the East – with NYCFC potentially fighting to lockup the second seed and a first-round bye.
“While we our happy for our partners, the New York Yankees, we understand that relocating a home game is a significant challenge for fans,” said NYCFC president Jon Patricof. “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.”
NYCFC said in their statement that all fans that have tickets for the NYCFC-Crew SC matchup will receive an email with ticketing options for Citi Field. The email will include access to a pre-sale to secure tickets for the game at a discounted rate.
