After Argentina’s 2-0 win against Canada in their opening Copa América match, Argentine defender Cristian Romero expressed his dissatisfaction with the pitch conditions to both Ole and TYC Sports.
According to Romero, “The state of the field was very poor. It’s a shame to have to play a tournament like the Copa América on such a surface. It affects the quality of our game, but it’s not an excuse. We showed that the team has the same desire to play at a high level.”
The match took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, USA. What specifically bothered Romero and the Argentine squad? Ole highlighted two main issues.
Firstly, while the pitch looked acceptable from a distance, it was uneven underfoot, causing unpredictable bounces that affected Argentina’s possession and passing game significantly.
More discomforting for the players was the artificial turf, which has a different bounce and hardness compared to natural grass. Over 20% of MLS stadiums, including Atlanta United’s home ground where this match was played, feature artificial pitches. South American media cited David Beckham’s earlier comments: “As a professional player, you shouldn’t be playing on these fields. They increase the risk of injury, especially lower limb injuries, particularly to knees and ankles, more than natural grass.”
Most major European clubs, like Romero’s Tottenham Hotspur, use natural grass. The prevalence of artificial turf in the US is partly due to climate factors and also because many sports complexes cater primarily to sports like American football and hockey, lacking the infrastructure and expertise to maintain football’s natural grass pitches.
The stadium, with a capacity of 71,000 spectators, will also host the group stage match between Panama and the United States.
Romero Criticizes US Pitch: ‘Sad’ to Play Copa América on Such Fields. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/football-world/romero-criticizes-us-pitch-sad-to-play-copa-america-on-such-fields.html
