By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK, July 7 (Reuters) - Two-time NWSL champions Gotham FC announced on Tuesday that they will relocate to Etihad Park, New York City's first-ever soccer-specific stadium which is currently under construction, in 2028. The stadium, which will be the home of MLS side NYCFC, sits across the street from the New York Mets Citi Field in Flushing, Queens:
• The move sees Gotham relocate from their previous suburban New Jersey stadium, putting them within a 75-minute public transit ride
for three million people, according to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, in a move that is expected to drive up attendance for the defending champions.
• The announcement comes days after Gotham announced the signing of 2023 Ballon d'Or runner-up Sam Kerr of Australia, widely considered among the greatest strikers of her generation.
• "It is high time that Gotham FC has a world-class soccer-specific stadium where they can play that world-class soccer right here in the city that they represent," Mamdani said at Tuesday's announcement.
• New York has moved aggressively to expand its sports footprint in recent years, successfully campaigning for this month's World Cup final. The grounds of the U.S. Open tennis, also located in Flushing, are undergoing an $800-million renovation.
• New York state last month formed an exploratory committee to look into the potential for Lake Placid and New York City to co-host the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2042.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; editing by Clare Fallon)
