BOYDS, Md. – Torrential rain storms filled the Maryland SoccerPlex playing field with puddles, forcing referees to call off the Washington Spirit versus Houston Dash game before kickoff Saturday.
The game has been rescheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday.
The Metropolitan area was hit with non-stop rain all day, filling the field with standing water on the edges of both penalty areas. A flash flood watch changed to a flood warning by the National Weather Service two hours before the scheduled kickoff.
Players attempted to warm up in the rainy conditions and tried to keep the ball away from the growing puddles. However, the ball struggled to travel on the field, getting swallowed by the water.
Referees gathered both coaching staffs in the middle of the field, confirming the decision to cancel the game minutes before kickoff.
Spirit midfielder Rose Lavelle and Dash striker Kealia Ohai were not scheduled to play in the match because they were called up to 25-player United States women’s national team training camp roster ahead of the Tournament of Nations, which starts Thursday.
Both teams were looking to get back in the win column after suffering losses last week.
Houston (5-7-5) lost on the road against the Portland Thorns 3-1 on July 15, while Washington (2-11-4) has not won a game since May 23.