Some Canadian players not happy with turf

[Vicenç]

Surprise! Encore plus surprenant personne n'en entendra parler en français!


http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/news_story/?ID ... ame=soccer

Canadian Press

9/11/2007 6:27:26 PM

TORONTO (CP) - It may be the first game in Toronto for the Canadian men's soccer team since 2000, but some of the players are not celebrating the artificial surface that awaits them at BMO Field on Wednesday night against Costa Rica.

"I think it's an issue for everyone in the squad, without a doubt. Not just the (playing) squad, the coaching staff it holds a big issue there as well," said captain Paul Stalteri, who plays club soccer for Spurs in England.

"Because if you look at the last two, three days in training, it hasn't been the easiest for the players."

Stalteri questioned the need for artificial turf when "the game has been played for over a 100 years on a natural surface."

"It's no hidden fact that the players don't like playing on the surface," he added.



In defence of the FieldTurf at BMO Field, which has FIFA's highest approval ranking for artificial surfaces, the Canadian players have been training on artificial turf at Upper Canada College so they have yet to try out their game surface.

"It doesn't really give. The bounce of the ball," midfielder Julian de Guzman, who plays in Spain for Deportivo La Coruna, said of the turf. "You could see it in the first couple of practices that some of the passes weren't really reaching the players."

"If they were to wet it, it might help a bit."

Said Stalteri: "The ball just doesn't have a true roll at all. People think it's a flat surface, there's nothing further from the truth."

Stalteri, who acknowledging he is not an expert on the matter, said he thought the artificial surface hasn't helped Toronto FC, which has been plagued by injuries this season in the MLS.

At this summer's FIFA U-20 World Cup, however, FIFA's medical committee concluded that there were fewer injuries per game on artificial turf _ including BMO Field _ than on grass during the tournament.

Stalteri said he hoped the BMO Field turf might be replaced with grass, calling it "the dream situation."

"Then there's no qualms about it, we've got the best place to play in Canada, without a doubt. The fans are right behind the professional team, hopefully they get right behind us (Wednesday)."

A change in surface is unlikely, however. The City of Toronto, which donated money and the land for the stadium, wanted the facility to be used all-year long, which means artificial turf and a bubble in winter.

[Moutinho28]

They will like our Saputo Stadium

[vieux_fan_81-83]

Indeed!

Seen this, and now wonder how the MLS team playing there will adapt...

for starters, remove the brick wall blocking the attacking goal!

But they still sucker poor fans into buying tickets... at least here WE HAVE A TEAM DOING THINGS RIGHT!

[Napule]

i play in turf at total campo in st leonard and i have to say it sucks!!!! natural grass is the way.