Wembley Stadium's World Cup pitch is a shambles
When Fabio Capello arrived in South Africa with his 23-man squad, he was greeted by a phone call from Prime Minister David Cameron and a pleasing new pitch for England's first game. He claimed that the pitch at Royal Bafokeng Stadium was far superior to that at Wembley.
The stadium, which has a capacity of 42,000, was the setting for a match between England and the United States, who were looking to top Group C of the qualifiers; it was a match that would put the 'special relationship' under pressure. When Capello and his team arrived at their campus near the stadium, they were greeted by King Kgosi Leruo of the Bafokeng Tribe.
The stadium also has locker rooms that rival Wembley, with each player having his or her own luxury wooden cabin to change in. Players travel down a corridor facing each other before meeting at the top of a stairwell and then down onto the pitch before stepping out onto the pitch. Because the stadium is an athletics venue, a large running track separates the fans from the field.
Before the competition, a team of Sabba's Landscaping worked on finishing touches to the pitch. The stadium was built in 1999 and was renovated for last year's Confederations Cup, but the pitch is brand new. Although it lacks the opulence of Johannesburg's Soccer City, Royal Bafokeng Stadium has a distinct charm and a well-known pitch.
A South African supplier grew the grass specifically for the competition. Capello claims the pitch is ideal because it has the right amount of bounce, friction, and texture, in stark contrast to his dissatisfaction with the official world cup ball.
However, it is not all good news for South African pitches;
Algeria's Majid Bougherra expressed his dissatisfaction with the quality of the pitch at the Polokwane stadium, claiming that it was the cause of his team's 1-0 loss to Slovenia. Bougherra claimed that the pitch, which was a mix of grass and synthetic turf, caused the ball to bounce faster, which, when combined with the new ball, he claimed was impossible for the goalkeeper to adjust to.
Regardless of the controversy, each team uses the same facilities, and no one team has an advantage over the others. Although some teams may object to the conditions, they are, pardon the pun, playing on a level playing field.
