In American NFL stadiums, football players legitimately gripe about the turf. And soccer players legitimately gripe about the grass.
The opening match of the Copa América, played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Thursday night, sparked complaints from Argentina about the quality of the recently-installed pitch.
Via Doug Roberson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni criticized the grass playing surface. He said it “affected his team’s tactics” in the 2-0 win over Canada. Scaloni said his players “weren’t able to pass like they wanted.”
Scaloni repeatedly said that the grass had been installed on Tuesday. It actually had been put down four days before the match, after the Atlanta United faced Houston in the MLS on Saturday.
A meeting to discuss possibly replacing the current surface with grass from the same farm was scheduled for Thursday. Per Roberson, the meeting was unrelated to Scaloni’s remarks.
Multiple players also complained about the grass. Via Lizzy Becharano of ESPN.com, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez said this: “The state of the pitch was a disaster. Very bumpy. We must improve in this aspect, otherwise, Copa América will always appear at a lower level than the European Championship.” Added Canada defenseman Kamal Miller said, “It felt like walking on a stage, as if it was hollow.”
Matches for the Copa América are being played in various NFL stadiums — Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, L.A., New York, Las Vegas, Arizona, and Kansas City. More than 70,000 attended last night’s opener.
The next match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium is scheduled for Thursday, June 27, between the United States and Panama. For the Copa América, sod was rolled over the existing artificial playing surface. As noted by Roberson, it’s probable that “the turf will be pulled up, dirt put in and grass grown” for World Cup matches in 2026 at the same venue.
And, of course, the grass would then be removed and replaced with the surface that football players don’t prefer.