Copa America 2024: Conmebol defends pitches after criticism

South America soccer’s governing physique Conmebol has defended the standard of the enjoying surfaces on the 2024 Copa América in the USA after a number of complaints from taking part groups.

After defending champion Argentina defeated Canada within the June 20 opener at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, each groups criticized the grass discipline, which changed the common synthetic turf. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez known as the sphere a “catastrophe.” Canada defender Kamal Miller stated it appeared hole.

Following Brazil’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Friday, Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior stated the Copa América “is all the time tough due to the pitches.”

Conmebol officers stated these complaints have been attributable to the grass’ visible look. In some elements of the sphere, ends of the grass clumps have been seen however there have been no variations in degree, the officers stated. At MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, there have been brown patches alongside the sideline.

“Aesthetics can provide the incorrect notion,” stated Frederico Nantes, director of Conmebol competitions and operations. He defined assessments have been carried out earlier than and after video games to judge the sphere and the way the ball moved and hit, and he famous all of them had good outcomes.

Within the second sport held in Atlanta, the joints of the grass have been now not seen, and since they give the impression of being improved, nobody spoke in regards to the stadium, Kuhn stated.

Eight of the stadiums are websites of the 2026 World Cup and renovations have been deliberate permitting for the the bigger fields in two years. For the World Cup, FIFA normally takes management of the stadiums a couple of month prematurely.

CONMEBOL officers stated the method of putting in the non permanent pitches for Copa América began a 12 months in the past.

Grass grown in specifically chosen nurseries are glued to plastic layers that adhere to the floor of the sphere. It’s transported in vehicles and positioned by a course of that takes into consideration each element, from watering to daylight to the place the vehicles move that drop it off on the sphere, the group stated.

Conmebol additionally maintained that the Arduous Rock Stadium’s enjoying floor shall be in nice form for the Copa América remaining on July 14

The grass floor on the stadium of the NFL’s Dolphins in Miami Gardens was eliminated Sunday for a July 6 live performance that includes the Colombian artist Feid. Set up of a brand new grass floor will start on July 8 and is predicted to be accomplished 4 days earlier than the ultimate of South America’s championship.

“We hope it’s in wonderful situation,” Maristela Kuhn, agricultural engineer of the South American Soccer Confederation and coordinator of the Copa América 2024 grass challenge, stated Monday. “The identical situation because it was for the primary match.”

There have been a pair of first-round video games at Arduous Rock. Uruguay beat Panama 3-1 on June 23 and Argentina defeated Peru 2-0 on Saturday.

Kuhn spoke to The Related Press after a information convention through which she and different Conmebol officers defined Miami would be the solely stadium to bear modifications to its grass. The swap was deliberate earlier than the beginning of the event due to the live performance.

The Miami stadium maintains a grass floor by the NFL season, however six of 14 stadiums used within the event had grass pitches put in over a man-made floor. The fields are also barely smaller than the worldwide customary, 100 by 64 meters (109 by 70 yards) as an alternative of 105 by 68 meters (115 by 74 yards).

Almost 1 million folks will attend Copa América group stage matches. Essentially the most-attended sport was Argentina’s match vs Chile that drew 81,106 at MetLife, web site of the 2026 World Cup remaining. Forty % of group stage video games have been sellouts.

Info from The Related Press contributed to this report.