SAN ANTONIO -- The field at the Alamodome for Wednesday's friendly between the US national team and Mexico was a talking point heading into the game, and it remained a talking point during and after the Americans' 2-0 win over El Tri.
After reports from the Mexican press on Tuesday that the game could be called off because the field was not suitable to play on, U.S. Soccer said the field preparations were not yet complete and would be ready for use by the scheduled kick off time.
In the end, the game did take place as planned, but pitch conditions in San Antonio were less than stellar. The sod was laid down just a few days ago and had not had time to properly fill in, which led to brown spots in several areas of the field. In addition, the use of hoses to moisten the grass made it slick, which led to players slipping and sliding.
Despite the conditions on the playing surface, the victors did not appear overly troubled by the field.
“The pitch was not the same as some other pitches,” USMNT forward Juan Agudelo said after the game. “I don’t know if we’ve been playing at the park too much but we looked comfortable on the ball out there.”
One possible casualty of the pitch was midfielder Kyle Beckerman, who left in the 63rd minute with what a U.S. Soccer spokesperson called a left thigh contusion, and was replaced by Perry Kitchen. According to the spokesperson, the Real Salt Lake stalwart could have kept playing as the injury wasn’t too serious, but USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann erred on the side of caution.
Aside from the talk of the field there was high praise for the crowd that filled the Alamodome to its capacity.
“I want to thank the 65,000 people who came out,” Klinsmann said. “it was so full of energy [in the building].”
Jordan Morris, the Stanford University sophomore who scored his first national team goal on the night, was also impressed with the turnout, even if the support was very much divided.
“The fans in San Antonio were great,” Morris said. “It was an incredible crowd.”
