Union game vs. Seattle postponed because of waterlogged field at Subaru Park

Union fans with long memories might recall that in 2014, a Union game was delayed 90 minutes when a big rainstorm coincided with high tide on the Delaware River a few feet away, backing up the stadium drainage system.

On Saturday night, Subaru Park witnessed a rare instance of history repeating. Though it was low tide this time, the Union’s game against the Seattle Sounders was postponed six minutes after kickoff because of a waterlogged field.

A rescheduled date has yet to be announced. All tickets purchased for the original date will be honored on the new date.

“It’s unusual and of course disappointing when you miss a game you’ve been preparing for, but it’s what the circumstances are, and prioritizing the safety of the players will always take [precedence],” Union manager Jim Curtin said.

The field looked playable in the minutes before kickoff, but things got much worse right as the teams came out of the tunnel. It had rained so much that there was standing water visible.

When referee Erick Lezama declared the stoppage, he brought both teams over to their respective benches. At one point, he dropped the ball on the grass, and it didn’t bounce. That’s a universal sign of a problem.

In the 15th minute, Lezama finally sent everyone to the locker rooms, and the Apple TV broadcast said there would be a new evaluation in 30 minutes. The amount of standing water only grew, even as a squeegee crew made one attempt to clean things up.

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“The conversation was just about whether the game should be stopped, could be stopped, what are the protocols — there were a lot of conversations there,” Sounders manager Brian Schmetzer said. “He took a poll of coaches and players, and it was a mixed bag.”

Seattle’s players wanted to play, and Schmetzer could see it from their body language. But he knew that as the puddles grew, so did the risk of injury for a team that already had many big names out.

“What if one of my guys goes and slides or slips, or after waiting for an hour-and-a-half because I don’t think the rain was going to let up … then you’ve got to rewarm them up,” Schmetzer said. “You risk a muscular injury at 11 o’clock at night playing a game that does mean something, but it’s a game that’s kind of past its prime.”

For some fans who chose to spend the evening at home instead of in the stadium, the delay brought to mind not just the past, but more recent events. On Wednesday, the U.S.-Canada women’s Gold Cup game was played in a deluge in San Diego that left the field flooded. The referee tried to stop the game at one point, but the TV broadcast seemed to show her being overruled by someone on the sideline — reportedly Concacaf’s match commissioner.

This time, the referee was able to halt play.

The game was not postponed a day to Sunday because the Union (0-0-2, 2 points) are scheduled to leave town on Sunday to fly to Mexico for Tuesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup game at Pachuca.

“We’re so thankful to fans who braved the conditions to come cheer us on, and we’ll be ready to face Seattle again when the time comes,” Curtin said. “For now, we turn our attention to Pachuca and prepare for our match on Tuesday.”

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When else could the game be played? The Sounders play at D.C. United on April 27, and both teams have the midweeks free before and after that — but only for now. If the Union advance past Pachuca and win the round after that, the Champions Cup semifinals are set for April 23 and 30.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising if a new date isn’t revealed until after Tuesday.

Schmetzer sympathized with the Union’s situation, having been there many times himself. The Sounders have played in the region’s top club tournament seven times in their 15 MLS seasons. In 2022, they became the first American team to win the title in 22 years.

“From Jim’s seat, I get it,” he said. “If it gives them a better chance of having a result down at Pachuca — there were a lot of things that came up as time kind of crept on [about] why I think it was the right decision.”

And there was no ill will between two well-regarded coaches with similar backgrounds. Just as the Oreland-born Curtin leads his hometown’s team, Schmetzer is a Seattle native who played for the NASL and indoor-era Sounders in the 1980s. He’s been part of the Sounders’ coaching staff since the club’s USL days in 2002, seven years before it joined MLS.

“Jim’s a nice guy,” he said. “I’ll expect a beer down the road, but there’s no animosity from me. I hope Philly does well.”

Between the praise and the region’s vibrant beer scene, he’ll surely get a good one.

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