Following Argentina’s 2-0 win over Canada within the opening match of the Copa America, head coach Lionel Scaloni and a number of other of his gamers criticized the enjoying floor at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The 73,000-capacity NFL area is shared between Atlanta United of MLS and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. It’s a man-made turf floor that occasionally, is changed with a grass area that’s positioned on high of the turf.
Atlanta United performed a house sport on turf on Saturday, June 15 and the pitch was laid the next day, 5 days earlier than Thursday’s match. However the finish outcome was not passable, in keeping with the Argentina nationwide staff.
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Requested what the distinction was between Argentina’s World Cup conflict in opposition to Saudi Arabia at Doha’s Lusail Stadium in 2022 in comparison with the match in Atlanta on Thursday evening, Scaloni held no punches.
“The distinction is that in opposition to (Saudi) Arabia we performed on a pleasant area,” he stated. “With all due respect — and good factor is we gained, as a result of in any other case it could appear like I’m giving an affordable excuse — they knew seven months in the past that we had been going to play right here and so they modified the floor two (sic) days in the past.That’s not good for spectacle.
“It’s not an excuse. The stadium is gorgeous and the substitute turf they use is great. However this area was lower than normal for these gamers.”
Scaloni added that Canada compelled Argentina to regulate their ways and that the enjoying floor had compelled his facet to play otherwise.
As Argentina’s gamers spoke to the worldwide press, the pitch remained a typical grievance.
Captain Lionel Messi, who supplied the help for Lautaro Martinez’s 88th-minute aim within the 2-0 win, stated the pitch “didn’t assist however the boys made a major effort bodily.”
“We entered this sport after enjoying some friendlies in opposition to some lower-level opponents,” goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez stated. “We confronted a powerful Canada staff tonight on a pitch that was a catastrophe, truthfully it was sophisticated. The sphere was a catastrophe. It jumped up on you as you ran.” Martinez later described the sphere as “a trampoline.”
“If we don’t enhance issues like this, the Copa America will at all times be beneath the European Championship,” the Aston Villa participant added.
Argentina defender Cristian Romero had the same scathing evaluate of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium floor. “The circumstances of the sphere had been horrible,” he stated. “It’s a disgrace that we have now to play this event on a area like this. It affected us however these aren’t excuses.”
Regardless of Martinez’s feedback, pitches at this summer season’s European Championship in Germany have additionally attracted complaints from gamers and managers. The pitches on the Frankfurt Area and the Dusseldorf Area particularly have drawn criticism.
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Scaloni was requested if he had extra considerations concerning the different fields that Argentina will play on all through the event. “No, hopefully the pitches aren’t a priority as a result of that is the one one which was a man-made area two days in the past,” he stated.
“I think about that the opposite fields will probably be tremendous, but it surely’s odd that it was recognized six months in the past that we’d be enjoying right here. I believe modifications might’ve been made earlier and never on the final minute. There’s nothing we will do about that.”
The USA will play their second group stage match versus Panama on June 27 in Atlanta.
(High picture: Fernando de Dios/Getty Photos)