Players and coaches answered many questions back and forth about the field in East Rutherford, New Jersey. world cup match There. Opinions vary.
Brazil’s Vinicius Junior was not a fan. France coach Didier Deschamps described it as special, but not in a good way. Norway’s Starre Solbakken was asked several questions about the surface before coaching his first match, but he came away happier than he expected.
Although it is completely different from the grass surface of conventional stadiums, Being defamed by NFL playersThe turf field, with synthetic fibers sewn in to reduce the risk of divots and tears, drew mixed reviews through the first seven games of the tournament there. The most important match will be played there on Sunday, when Argentina and Spain will meet in the final, after around two weeks off to ensure the staff are in the best possible condition.
Neither team has yet played at Meadowlands Stadium, adding an additional element of uncertainty to the matchup.
Players and coaches say the grass plays faster and is better when it’s wet.
Before Norway played Senegal in New Jersey, Solbakken likened the Meadowlands pitch to astroturf. He said the short, hard grass could be good for teams that like possession. Heavy rain fell before and during the match on June 22nd, completely changing the face of the match.
“The pitch was much better because of the rain, because the ball didn’t hit my feet because of the rain,” Solbakken said. “The match is going faster and smoother, which allowed the two good teams to play their part, and the pitch is much better because of the rain. If it wasn’t raining, it would be more doubtful. In that case, it could be dry and short and more difficult, but thanks to the rain today the pitch was much, much better.”
The air was dry when England faced Panama in each team’s final group game. England manager Thomas Tuchel also likened the field to artificial turf because of the short blades of the grass, which is very different from the ground in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
“It’s a very fast pitch,” Tuchel said. “It’s very short and the grass layer isn’t quite even yet so it’s a little uneven. So it’s very active. It’s very bouncy. … It was very hard and very fast, but it was good and easy to play and no one complained.”
Vinicius after Brazil’s match against Morocco and score On June 13, he said, “The field is not helping.” Rabiot, who played there The match against Senegal three days later was described as tough and tough.
“In Europe, we play on pitches that are in better condition,” Rabiot said through an interpreter. “In my opinion, the pitch was not in a good condition. I saw there was a lot of criticism too, so I’m not the only one criticizing the condition of the pitch.”
Coach Deschamps described the pitch as tough, saying, “It really wore out the players’ muscles.”
at that time france is back Ahead of the knockout stage opener against Sweden on June 30, Rabiot said he believed there had been slight improvement and the grass was now longer.
FIFA spent more than five years on grass and made adjustments during the World Cup
FIFA said preparations include testing and collaboration with turf experts and stadium operators. The pitch, filled with turf from Carolina Green Sod Farm, was installed in early May.
After adding the hybrid fibers, workers continued to fertilize, aerate, mow, and do what FIFA calls “carefully managed irrigation.”
The surface was monitored and tested throughout the process for the five group plays and two knockout stage games played there, including checking moisture levels, hardness and overall playability. Norway vs. Senegal showed authorities how much water can be retained on the ground, leading to maximizing irrigation before and during matches, as well as during halftime and hydration breaks.
“The overall objective was to provide a surface that meets the highest possible standards in terms of performance, consistency and player safety,” FIFA said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The period between Norway and Brazil’s Round of 16 encounter and the final was 13 days, with FIFA aiming to optimize the conditions. The purpose was to give the pitch an opportunity to recover, prepare and rehearse the ceremony.
It is unclear what will happen to the grass in the World Cup finals.
It’s anyone’s guess, but heavy rain expected to hit the region on Saturday could lead to a match like Norway’s first match at this stadium. meanwhile Smoke from Canadian wildfires Although questions remain about the air quality, the weather outside looks like it will be picture perfect. Sunny, 82 degrees Fahrenheit (27.78 degrees Celsius).
Once the World Cup is over, MetLife Stadium’s turf will be removed and artificial turf will be reinstalled before the Giants’ first exhibition game on Aug. 15. The process began at other stadiums across the country after the final game.
The NFL Players Association opposes this, saying 92% of its members want to play on natural grass. In recent weeks, several players have posted on social media in favor of turf over turf.
washington offensive lineman Posted by Laremy Tunsil “If a stadium can make the grass work for the World Cup, they can make it work for NFL players,” he said Friday.
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Associated Press writer Luis Andres Henao and AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
