Despite initial misgivings, MLS has approved D.C. United's request to play its home opener at Maryland SoccerPlex in Montgomery County, the Insider has learned.
The March 17 match against the Houston Dynamo is tentatively slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. None of the involved parties wanted to comment on the situation, but an official announcement is expected soon.
United played its final game at RFK Stadium last fall after 22 seasons and will move into Audi Field this year. However, the new venue in Southwest Washington, two blocks from Nationals Park, won't open until July 14.
The league rejected United's bid to play all 17 home matches at the 20,000-capacity facility and mandated two home games elsewhere in the region. While United's proposal to play the Columbus Crew on April 14 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis did not raise any major concerns, the SoccerPlex plan did not go smoothly.
[As Audi Field makes progress toward completion, D.C. United still has issues to resolve]
MLS's primary issues were with a substandard locker room for the referees, security amid multiple events taking place at the sprawling complex and TV optics at a venue with a seating capacity of about 5,200. To address some of those concerns, people with knowledge of the situation said, organizers will install a high-end trailer for the match officials and other temporary facilities for game management.
Initially, the team and facility wanted to play at 7 p.m., but to improve the TV presentation, including lighting, MLS ordered an afternoon kickoff.
Crowd control and security will present challenges, as well. At the same time as the MLS match, the MSI Cherry Blossom Classic, a youth soccer tournament, will run throughout the day on the two-dozen surrounding fields. Also, a volleyball tournament will take place inside the adjacent Discovery Sports Center, where the soccer locker rooms are located.
The SoccerPlex faced a similar situation in 2012 and 2013 when it staged the ACC men's soccer tournament and youth events indoors and outdoors.
United has played at the SoccerPlex many times since the facility opened in 2000, but those were almost always U.S. Open Cup matches, low-key affairs typically against lower-division opponents. The Open Cup falls under the jurisdiction of the tournament organizer, the U.S. Soccer Federation, not MLS.
United's logistical experience working at the SoccerPlex appears to have helped its cause. The facility is located in the town of Boyds, five miles west of the Interstate 270 exits for Germantown.
United's appearance in Annapolis is also expected to receive formal approval soon. The capacity of Navy's football stadium is 34,000.
The two early home games are not included in the season ticket package. United will provide priority access to those holders, which number about 9,000. That's almost double the SoccerPlex capacity, but because of the location and potential cold weather, demand is likely to be lower there than at Navy.
The only time United played a regular season match away from RFK Stadium was in June 2014 against Columbus as part of a doubleheader at FedEx Field with a Spain-El Salvador friendly.
United will open the season March 3 at Orlando City and play 12 of the first 14 matches on the road before christening Audi Field with a game against the Vancouver Whitecaps. On Friday, in a topping-off ceremony, construction crews affixed the final steel beam into place. The 16-month, $300 million project is on schedule for completion in June, team officials said.
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