Posted June 06, 2026 09:47
· last edited June 06, 2026 09:51
Concerns raised by the English media about the state of the pitch for tomorrow's game, as raised with Tuchel in the press conference I posted above: image.png213.63 KBhttps://www.dailymail.com/sport/football/article-15876053/England-World-Cup-preparations-DISJOINTED-pitch-plug-play-eerie-flashback-woeful-2014-tournament.html?ito=native_share_article-top
"England will kick-off their World Cup preparations on a ‘plug and play’ pitch laid just a week ago.
Thomas Tuchel and his Three Lions start their friendly double-header with a clash against New Zealand at the Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on Saturday. And when they step out of the tunnel in Florida they will do so onto a new surface that is prompting some questions in the Sunshine State.
Pictures taken on Thursday and obtained by Daily Mail Sport show the turf appearing slightly disjointed in parts - and traveling FA ground staff are thought to be liaising with the venue ahead of the 4pm kick-off.
One groundsman at a leading EFL club examined the shots and said they showed that sections of the surface were yet to ‘blend properly’.
They explained: ‘That’s the giveaway that it’s only just been laid. Ideally you would want to leave it for the roots to form into a profile and the pitch to settle but that hasn’t happened here. These types of pitches are called "plug and play" because they are designed to be played on in a few days.’ However, while it may look a little patchy, ground staff at the venue are thought to be confident that the freshly-laid surface will not present any major issues.
Given many of the venues at the tournament are not soccer-specific, such pitches will be commonplace across the World Cup, although most will have had significantly longer to bed in."
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Big Pete 65edited June 06, 2026 09:51
Concerns raised by the English media about the state of the pitch for tomorrow's game, as raised with Tuchel in the press conference I posted above:image.png213.63 KBhttps://www.dailymail.com/sport/football/article-15876053/England-World-Cup-preparations-DISJOINTED-pitch-plug-play-eerie-flashback-woeful-2014-tournament.html?ito=native_share_article-top
"England will kick-off their World Cup preparations on a ‘plug and play’ pitch laid just a week ago.
Thomas Tuchel and his Three Lions start their friendly double-header with a clash against New Zealand at the Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on Saturday. And when they step out of the tunnel in Florida they will do so onto a new surface that is prompting some questions in the Sunshine State.
Pictures taken on Thursday and obtained by Daily Mail Sport show the turf appearing slightly disjointed in parts - and traveling FA ground staff are thought to be liaising with the venue ahead of the 4pm kick-off.
One groundsman at a leading EFL club examined the shots and said they showed that sections of the surface were yet to ‘blend properly’.
They explained: ‘That’s the giveaway that it’s only just been laid. Ideally you would want to leave it for the roots to form into a profile and the pitch to settle but that hasn’t happened here. These types of pitches are called "plug and play" because they are designed to be played on in a few days.’ However, while it may look a little patchy, ground staff at the venue are thought to be confident that the freshly-laid surface will not present any major issues.
Given many of the venues at the tournament are not soccer-specific, such pitches will be commonplace across the World Cup, although most will have had significantly longer to bed in."
