Argentina may have come away with a win against Canada in their 2024 Copa America opener on Thursday. But all was not satisfactory on the pitch.
In fact, after the match at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, La Albiceleste’s coaches and players did not hold back in their assessment of the quality of the field, repeatedly criticizing it.
“To play in the conditions and the pitch we played in is embarrassing,” said Argentinian centre-back Cuti Romero in an interview with TyC Sports, after helping his squad secure a 2-0 victory.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who posted a clean sheet against Canada in their Copa America debut, was also not impressed either, calling the field a “disaster.”
“The state of the pitch was a disaster,” Martinez said to reporters. “Very bumpy. We must improve in this aspect, otherwise, Copa América will always appear at a lower level than the European Championship.”
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the home of MLS’ Atlanta United FC. The club usually plays on artificial turf. However, at CONMEBOL’s request, grass was installed in the stadium for the tournament.
Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni echoed the same sentiment
“This isn’t a good field. Sincerely. The field is not adequate for these players,” he said in a post-game press conference.
Scaloni also pointed out the fact that tournament organizers in Atlanta waited until two days before the match to install a temporary grass pitch.
“We have known for seven months that we are going to play here and they changed the grass two days ago,” the Argentina coach added.
Despite the outspoken nature of the winning squad, the criticism of Atlanta’s setup was not completely one-sided.
After the match, Canada defender Kamal Miller said playing on the field “felt like walking on a stage, as if it was hollow.”
Luckily for players, the 2024 Copa America will be played at a variety of venues across the United States, including MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The tournament’s final match will be played at Miami Gardens in Florida on July 14.
Canada returns to action on Tuesday against Peru at 3 pm PT/6 pm ET. They’ll complete their group stage schedule on Saturday, June 29 when they face off against Chile at 5 pm PT/ 8 pm ET.
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