From Ed White

Englewood, California, June 20 (Reuters Sports Service) - As soon as Switzerland and Bosnia left the pitch after their World Cup soccer match on Thursday, another team entered the field.

But instead of tearing the grass with spiked boots, this team was cutting, raking, sowing, and repairing the grass.

After being subjected for two hours to the pressure of some of the world's best and toughest grass players, the pitch needed a certain amount of care and attention, which is essential in this edition of the World Cup, which is often held on grass pitches placed over an underlayment usually used to support artificial turf.

Things didn't always go well.

After France's 3-1 win over Senegal on Tuesday, coach Didier Deschamps said his team had to change their boots to suit the pitch at New York New Jersey Stadium, which was not in perfect condition.

Deschamps said, "Let's just say it's... different. Unusual, so you have to adapt to it. It's also different, so the ball bounces differently too." He added that none of his players had worn spiked boots "even though modern boots are much more adaptable."

France midfielder Adrien Rabiot said, "The pitch... I don't even know if you can call it a grass pitch. It looked more like an artificial one, very hard and frozen."

Commentators, journalists and television viewers have also expressed concern about the condition of that stadium, which is the most important of the stadiums because it will host the final match on July 19.

For some, parts of the ground appeared to be discolored, while the grass in front of the goal looked somewhat worn.

However, Vancouver's stadium received high praise from the players, allaying the concerns of its maintenance staff, the farmer who planted and supplied the grass, and the local community, which is proud to host the World Cup and wants to impress the world.

Australian Aiden O'Neill praised the stadium after his team's 2-0 win over Türkiye on Saturday.

The Globe and Mail quoted him as saying, "I think they did a great job getting the pitch into this condition. The ball moved well, and the ground wasn't too hard. Honestly, I think they got it to the perfect state."

Throughout North America, stadiums undergo rigorous testing, but each stadium has unique characteristics, far more than is typical in other World Cup tournaments.

Because the stadiums are located in very different environments, from high-altitude Mexico City to coastal New Jersey, and from semi-desert Los Angeles to humid Toronto, the types of grass used vary from stadium to stadium, and each stadium has special requirements in the installation process.

Some stadiums are exposed to sunlight while others are not, some are exposed to rain while others are never exposed to it. Players compete in a wide range of conditions, and the same is true for the stadiums.

World Cup stadiums look strange underfoot

Mike Han, a researcher in football motion mechanics and injuries, and assistant director of the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, which is contributing to the development of the 2027 Women's World Cup boots, said he understands why players are bothered by the World Cup pitches that look a bit strange when running on them.

Han, who is watching the pitches as closely as the players during the current tournament, told Reuters, "The players have a very accurate sense of what the pitch should be like."

"If there is a slight difference in the firmness of the grass above the standard subfloor, they can feel this small difference enough to make their legs stiffer if the ground is too soft, or feel it too firm and have to relax their muscles."

Han praised FIFA for having clear standards and a rigorous program for testing and developing playing surfaces, which allows for accurate analysis of their performance.

The use of hybrid stadiums in this tournament, in which natural grass grows through a supporting artificial layer that gives it extra strength and durability, makes the World Cup a huge field test of the latest engineering methods.

Despite the criticism directed at the New Jersey stadium, FIFA told Reuters that the situation is better than it may appear, saying in a statement, "The stadiums remain in excellent condition in terms of playability and player safety."

"FIFA's turf management team believes that all pitches are in good working order and perform as expected for high-level competition. Differences in appearance that may be seen on television or with the naked eye do not necessarily reflect the pitch's efficiency or playability."

Han said he is monitoring whether any of the hybrid stadiums will tear under the enormous pressure caused by players moving at full speed and suddenly changing direction.

At the Los Angeles stadium, the turf maintenance team was doing everything they could to ensure that this did not happen.

One of the workers was operating what looked like a lawnmower, but instead of cutting grass, he was planting new seeds on the field, covering every centimeter of the green rectangle.

As for the spots that appeared discolored or worn, the maintenance personnel were treating them individually, noting one prominent spot that was treated with what appeared to be some kind of fertilizer.

The tournament is still in its early stages, and the pitches still need to hold up for several more weeks, so the struggle between the players' shoe spikes, the efficiency of the grass, the engineering of the hybrid pitches, and environmental factors has only just begun.