COPA AMERICA
Poor pitches, intense heat and lack of atmosphere aimed at Copa America
The 2024 tournament is being staged across the United States and being cited as a mini-precursor to the 2026 World Cup.
This year’s 2024 Copa America is being staged in the United States with games being staged in fourteen venues across the nation with organisers using the event and next years expanded 32 team FIFA Club Cup as testing grounds ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
After just ten games, a series of complaints are already being directed at the organising committee by fans, members of the media and even players voicing their concern at areas surrounding logistics at the tournament.
Poor Pitches
The state of many pitches is one of the gripes from players and head coaches with Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni one of the most outspoken on the matter.
Argentina opened the tournament last Thursday with a 2-0 win over Canada and after his team’s win Scaloni expressed his unhappiness with the pitch at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium saying it was unsuitable for this level of competition.
The venue, which hosts matches for local MLS side Atlanta United and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, usually has an artificial pitch but a temporary grass surface was installed ahead of the tournament opener.
“It is not good for the show. It is not an excuse, the stadium is beautiful and with synthetic turf it must be spectacular, but with today’s turf it is not suitable for this kind of players stated the head coach.”
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez echoed his manager’s sentiments, telling TyC Sports: “Coming here against a strong Canada, with good forwards and on a field that is a disaster made it a little difficult for us adding, “we have to improve in that aspect. Otherwise, the Copa America will always be at a lower level than the European Championship.”
The playing surface in Dallas has also come under-fire with both Chile’s manager Ricardo Garcea and Peru’s Jorge Fossati unhappy about the playing surface at the stadium. Peruvian captain Luis Advincula had to leave the game early after suffering an achilles injury, which Fossati blamed on the grass. “I realize that this is a grass field today, but it’s not normal grass,” said Fossati.
Intense heat
The was plenty of concern during the Peru vs. Canada game after one of the linesmen fainted in the final moments of the first half. The Canadian team was pushing as the clock ticked down when the cameras focused on the member of the refereeing team, lying on the field in a state of unconsciousness.
Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau was the first to notice the linesman’s plight and was straight over to assist the official. He called over members of the pitch side medical staff and the required attention was soon administered.
The official had to leave on a stretcher drawing a round of applause from the fans in attendance at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. Conditions during the first half were sweltering which commenced at 5pm ET, with the thermometer reading 90 degrees fahrenheit / 32 degrees celsius.
The competition has coincided with the first heatwave of the season with CONMEBOL implementing mandatory cooling breaks when the temperature tops 86F/30C.
Lack of atmosphere
Speaking to the media recently, Juventus and USMNT player Weston McKennie bemoaned playing in the States.
He said: “It’s frustrating, especially as a player. You know, whenever you do come here to America you play in a stadium that can fit 70,000 people but 25,000 show up. You don’t really have an atmosphere. And then you’re playing on a football field, with laid grass that’s all patchy and it breaks up every step you take. It’s frustrating.”
He added: “If you look at the Euros, they’re all playing on great fields, great grass, football-specific stadiums, soccer-specific stadiums, and you see the quality of the football”.
Geography and ticket pricing are being cited for many gaps in stadium seating at the tournament so far with the average price of a Copa América ticket, according to multiple estimates costing the fan over $200 with even the cheapest seats at many Copa games costing more than $100.
For the tournament CONMEBOL have handed over ticketing logistics (and pricing) to Ticketmaster with many feeling the company has overpriced the tournament making it out of financial reach for families and would-be attendees.