The condition of the playing surface at N.Y. N.J. Stadium for the World Cup “is already raising concerns” following a “fair amount of criticism” from players and on social media from fans, according to Melanie Anzidei of THE ATHLETIC. The pitch quality has been a “lingering concern” dating back to last summer’s Club World Cup. The pitch was sourced from a turf farm in North Carolina, and it required 27 trucks to transport the grass on a 12-hour journey to the stadium. The original plan was to use grass from Tuckahoe Turf Farms in nearby Hammonton, N.J., but a “harsh winter forced FIFA to pivot.” The turf requires around-the-clock care, and that was true even mid-match during France-Senegal on Tuesday -- when workers “quickly tended to the playing surface between halves.” Six more World Cup matches will be played at N.Y. N.J. Stadium this summer (THE ATHLETIC, 6/21).
TOUGH CRITICISM: France coach Didier Deschamps has added his voice to the “chorus of criticism” of the pitch. Ahead of Monday’s Group I match against Iraq in Philadelphia, Deschamps was asked if he was “worried about the prospect of heavy rain.” He said, “We have played in the heat [at N.Y. N.J. Stadium] so, if there is some rain, good, because the grass will be faster and the quality will be better, much better than the one in New York. … The pitch in New York was really tough.” THE ATHLETIC’s Matt Slater noted Norway and Senegal are the next teams to play at N.Y. N.J. Stadium on Monday, with five more games to follow (THE ATHLETIC, 6/21).
