Thomas Tuchel has given his verdict on the pitch at New York/New Jersey Stadium (Image: Getty)
England head coach Thomas Tuchel declared he had “no complaints” regarding the pitch at New York/New Jersey Stadium, offering his verdict on the surface following a commanding 2-0 victory over Panama.
Goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane secured the win after a frustrating opening hour, propelling the Three Lions to the top of Group L. England concluded the group stage on seven points, having previously beaten Croatia 4-2 and played out a goalless draw with Ghana.
Croatia bounced back from their opening defeat to England to claim second place in the group, though a tough round of 32 challenge now awaits them. England featured in Dallas, Boston and New Jersey throughout the group stage and, despite acknowledging the differing conditions at each venue, Tuchel was full of praise for Saturday’s surface.
“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 positive assessment of the stadium’s surface stands in contrast to the verdicts issued by both the France and Brazil camps, who have been critical about the quality of the New Jersey pitch. Their criticism prompted FIFA to step in and publicly defend the surface’s condition.
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The majority of World Cup fixtures are being staged at venues purpose-built for NFL matches, most of which feature artificial turf throughout the year. This presented a significant obstacle when FIFA awarded joint-hosting rights to the US, given that all football matches must be contested on natural grass.
NFL players have long campaigned for a switch to natural grass, with worrying research highlighting a greater incidence of muscular injuries on artificial surfaces. Modifications have been made ahead of the World Cup, yet no announcement has been forthcoming regarding a permanent change in the NFL.
The condition of the playing surface at New York/New Jersey Stadium has been a topic of debate (Image: Getty)
New York/New Jersey Stadium is set to host the World Cup final on July 19, an occasion England will be desperate to feature in. Tuchel was not only satisfied with the quality of the playing surface, but was equally delighted by the atmosphere inside the ground, with thousands of England supporters helping to spur the team to victory.
Despite heavy rain and cooler temperatures making for a thoroughly miserable day off the pitch — with the stadium offering neither a roof nor any shelter — the conditions did little to dampen the spirits of England’s supporters. It is something Tuchel made a point of acknowledging to his players 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.”