FBL-WC-CLUB-2025-MATCH09-FLUMINENSE-DORTMUND
With two games at this year's championship game venue in the books, players are not finding the grass in New Jersey to be up to standard
WHAT HAPPENED?
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Following their 0-0 draw with Fluminense at the FIFA Club World Cup Tuesday afternoon, Borussia Dortmund players Gregor Kobel and Pascal Gross criticizeds the playing surface at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey - the home of this year's final, and hosting venue of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, as well.
Their criticism arrives days after Palmeiras winger Estevao voiced concerns over the pitch, following a scoreless draw against Portuguese side FC Porto.
“I think the pitch should have been watered a little more as the ball was a little slow which interferes with the pace of the game. It was both for ourselves and for Porto. As the game went on, it rained which made it roll a bit faster," Estevao said on Sunday.
On Tuesday, Dortmund goalkeeper Kobel noted that the grass was once again underwatered.
"It was a little bit dry," he told the media after the game in the mixed zone. "Of course, you can feel the turf beneath it, so the ball was not bouncing the way it usually bounces. It was a little bit soft, like, the ball didn't really get the height it normally gets."
Gross, meanwhile, didn't hold back with his remarks of the surface - but noted that it's not an excuse for their performance on Tuesday, and doesn't want it to be viewed as such.
"Just a totally different football pitch than what we played a whole year on. It's nothing compared to the grass we play on, but I'm not a fan of excuses, so that doesn't matter for me," he said after the match. "That's what I mean. We need to adjust quick. We need to be able to play on different pitches. They [Fluminense] do it. They, I think they probably have a different kind of pitch in Brazil. So that's no excuse. Just adjust to the conditions and try your best and play better football."
Dortmund manager Niko Kovac also complained about the state of the pitch.
"The pitch isn't so easy for us," he mentioned to DAZN after Dortmund's draw.
Fluminense FC v Borussia Dortmund: Group F - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
THE BIGGER PICTURE
MetLife's pitch for the Club World Cup was delivered via 23 truckloads from a farm 93 miles away from the stadium in Hammonton, N.J., and it will host eight total Club World Cup games this summer.
It's installed over the regular synthetic turf playing surface that NFL franchises the New York Giants and New York Jets share.
Blair Christiansen, the venue’s pitch manager for the Club World Cup this summer, told The Athletic that through multiple studies and numerous amounts of feedback, they believe they have the "grass for the future of FIFA" installed at MetLife.
WHAT GROSS ADDED
Gross's criticisms of the pitch weren't the only thing he noted postgame, but attendance as well. MetLife can host a capacity of 82,566 people, and there were 47,830 empty seats for the contest per official attendance. Tuesday's attendance was announced to be 34,736 - though the lower bowl of the venue was nowhere near capacity, with it holding 33,346 persons.
"Yeah, also totally different to Germany, especially to every stadium in Germany, it's sold out. Our stadium has a capacity of 81,000 people and it's sold out every single game," Gross said. "Doesn't matter who we play, with 25,000 standing behind the goal - and it's tighter - so there's no comparison to that at all. But again, doesn't matter. We're here to play in the Club World Cup. We have to adjust to the conditions we find here and try to do our best."
FBL-WC-CLUB-2025-MATCH09-FLUMINENSE-DORTMUND
WHAT NEXT FOR BVB?
The Black and Yellow return to the field on Saturday against South African side Mamelodi Sundowns at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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