SEATTLE (AP) — american women’s national team A sneak peek at the grass laid at Lumen Field this summer world cup.
The United States Plans to play in Japan On Tuesday night, the newly installed hybrid lawn, a combination of real grass and artificial fibers, was used. The women’s team has not visited Lumen since 2017 because of the artificial turf.
A collective agreement will be concluded in 2022. it gave women equal pay It also gave players on the men’s national team fair playing conditions, including playing only on suitable grass fields.
U.S. coach Emma Hayes said it was important to bring the national team back to the Pacific Northwest. More than 35,000 tickets were sold for the game, breaking the record for a single women’s game in Seattle. Megan Rapinoe retirement match The 2023 Seattle Reign drew 34,130 fans.
“That was definitely one of my goals. I really wanted that opportunity, but the CBA, of course, we want to play on a grass field, so we’ve been prohibiting that from happening, but this opportunity gives us the opportunity to do that,” Hayes said. “I’m very happy to be able to grab it with both hands and set a record for attendance for a women’s game in the region.”
FIFA has strict requirements for World Cup playing fields. Therefore, all stadiums used in Canada, the United States, and Mexico for this summer’s World Cup will include similar grassland.
There are eight World Cup stadiums with artificial turf, seven in the United States and one in Canada. All of the venues except Vancouver’s BC Place are home to NFL teams.
In Seattle, grass installation work began in earnest last month. A drainage system and almost a foot of sand were laid before the lawn was installed. The lawn and the structure underneath will be removed after the World Cup.
Lumen is the home of the NFL’s Seahawks, Major League Soccer’s Sounders, and the home of the National Women’s Soccer League. The Sounders and Reign relocated during the installation, playing several games in Spokane.
The Sounders will play their first game on the new turf on Wednesday when they host Mexican club Tigres in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals.
Seattle is scheduled to host six World Cup matches starting in June, four of which will be in the group stage and two in the knockout stages.
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