SEATTLE — The United States is getting a sneak peek at the grass that has been laid down at Lumen Field for this summer season’s World Cup.
The USWNT performs Japan on Tuesday evening on the newly put in hybrid grass, a mixture of actual grass woven with synthetic fibers. The girls’s staff has not been to Lumen since 2017 due to the factitious turf.
In 2022, the collective bargaining settlement that gave the ladies equal pay to their male nationwide staff counterparts additionally gave the gamers equitable taking part in situations, which included taking part in solely on appropriate grass fields.
U.S. coach Emma Hayes stated it was vital to carry the nationwide staff again to the Pacific Northwest. More than 35,000 tickets have been offered for the sport, which breaks the document for a standalone girls’s match in Seattle. Megan Rapinoe’s retirement match with the Seattle Reign in 2023 drew 34,130 followers.
“It definitely was one of my aims. I really wanted the opportunity and quite rightly the CBA, we want to be playing on grass fields. So that prohibited that from happening and this opportunity gives us the chance to do that,” Hayes stated. “I’m so happy to grab it with both hands and for us to have a record attendance for a women’s game in this area.”
FIFA has strict necessities for the fields of play at the World Cup. So each stadium used throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico for this summer season’s World Cup might want to have related grass fields.
There are eight World Cup stadiums, seven within the United States and one in Canada, which have synthetic turf. All of the venues, aside from Vancouver’s BC Place, are house to NFL groups.
In Seattle’s case, the work to put in the grass started in earnest final month. A drainage system and almost a foot of sand have been laid down earlier than the sod was put in. The grass and the construction beneath shall be eliminated following the World Cup.
Lumen is house to the NFL’s Seahawks, MLS’ Sounders and the Reign of the NWSL. The Sounders and Reign have been displaced through the set up, taking part in some matches throughout the state in Spokane.
The Sounders will play their first match on the brand new grass on Wednesday once they host Mexican membership Tigres within the second leg of a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal.
Seattle is about to host six World Cup matches beginning in June, 4 within the group-stage and two within the knockout spherical.
Information from The Associated Press was used on this report.
