England head coach Thomas Tuchel had “no complaints” about the playing surface at New York/New Jersey Stadium, after offering his verdict on the pitch following a commanding 2-0 victory over Panama. Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane struck to propel England to victory after an underwhelming opening hour, as the Three Lions claimed top spot in Group L.
England wrapped up the group stage on seven points, having previously beaten Croatia 4-2 and played out a goalless stalemate with Ghana. Croatia bounced back from their opening defeat to England to claim second place in the group, though a stern Round of 32 match now lies in wait.
England took to the pitch in Dallas, Boston, and New Jersey throughout the group stage, and while Tuchel acknowledged each surface was distinctly different, he was full of praise for Saturday’s pitch.
“Very fast pitch. Very short and almost feels a little bit like AstroTurf,” Tuchel said. “Very short and a bit uneven because you see some of the different layers of the grass.
“It’s quite active, it’s quite bouncy, it’s fast. It’s good. Playable, but it was very different to the pitch in Boston where we had very long grass, and it was much slower. This one was hard and fast, no complaint.”
Tuchel’s assessment of the stadium’s pitch stands in contrast to the verdicts emerging from the France and Brazil camps, who have been critical about the quality of the New Jersey pitch. The criticism prompted FIFA to wade in and defend the condition of the playing surface.
The vast majority of World Cup fixtures are being held at stadiums built for NFL action, and most of those grounds use artificial turf throughout the year.
View 2 ImagesThe condition of the playing surface at New York/New Jersey Stadium has been a topic of debate(Image: Maddie Meyer – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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This posed a significant problem when FIFA handed the US joint-hosting rights, as all football matches must be played on natural grass.
NFL players have long been pushing for a switch to natural grass, with worrying research revealing a higher rate of muscular injuries on artificial surfaces. Modifications have been made ahead of the World Cup, yet there has been no confirmation of a permanent surface change within the NFL.
New York/New Jersey Stadium will stage the World Cup final on July 19, an occasion England will be desperate to feature in. Tuchel was not only satisfied with the playing surface, but was equally delighted with the atmosphere inside the ground, with thousands of England supporters helping to drive the team to victory.
It was a thoroughly miserable day weather-wise despite the positive result, with torrential rain and chilly temperatures, and the stadium offered no roof or cover. Nevertheless, the weather did little to dampen the backing from England supporters — something Tuchel urged his players to appreciate ahead of the knockout stages.
“It felt brilliant. Amazing support, crazy white wall behind the goal,” Tuchel said. “Perfect weather to play football for us. Warm rain, amazing to see the fans and hear the fans. Fantastic moment for all of us to take in.
“I encourage everyone to take it in at the moment because it’s easy to get carried away with your own expectations. You expect to win the group; you expect to win that match.
“It’s just not like this, it’s hard work. Sometimes you have to admit and respect the occasion and quality of the opponent.
“This evening is for sure to take the energy and take in the atmosphere. From tomorrow, we think about the Round of 32.”
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