Boston Legacy breaks NWSL attendance record for largest inaugural home opener

Boston Legacy started off its first game by breaking records, becoming the highest-attended inaugural home opener in National Women's Soccer League history. 

Over 30,200 fans attended the match at Gillette Stadium against New York Gotham FC on Saturday. Boston Legacy President Jennifer van Dijk said that the team had sold over 26,000 tickets as of Friday.

"This environment, to the players, to women's football, I think contributes a lot to the game. I think we need to continue to do that," Boston Legacy head coach Filipa Patão said.

Despite the record-breaking attendance, Legacy lost to the defending NWSL champions, Gotham FC 0-1. Legacy put up a great effort with 9 shots in total and 2 shots on goal during the entirety of the match. The game remained scoreless heading into halftime. 

Just after returning to the pitch, Gotham's Esther González slipped a goal past Legacy goalkeeper Casey Murphy, resulting in a 0-1 lead to Gotham.

Bianca St-Georges was given a second yellow card around the 75-minute mark. She had received her first around 30 minutes into the first half. Two yellow cards in a soccer match equates to a single red card, resulting in St-Georges being taken off the field. Legacy was left to play 10 players to Gotham's 11 during the final minutes of the match. 

Boston was unable to come back from González goal before the end of the match. 

"I'm proud of the team. I'm proud of the work we did this entire weeks of the preseason, but for us we want to win this game," Patão said.

Legacy will play the Houston Dash at Shell Energy Stadium on March 21. The team will rotate home matches at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts and Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island until White Stadium is ready in 2027. The team will play matches from now until October.