On a hazy night in Washington, the U.S. Women’s National Team OlympicThe match against Costa Rica was an unforgettable one. Tension continues in a scoreless draw The game was more one-sided than the scoreline would suggest, with the U.S. struggling to score goals.
But the biggest news of the night came before the game. U.S. women’s national team midfielder Rose Label Lavelle was pulled from the match at short notice due to what a women’s national team spokesperson described as a “muscle strain,” and watched the game from a suite in her match uniform.
Large areas of the field were discoloured, both the penalty spot and the centre spot were replaced the day before the match, the ball did not move cleanly on the pitch and was uneven, especially towards the sidelines.
There are square replacement patches on the pitch (Athletic/Pablo Maurer)
After the match, head coach Emma Hayes said that field conditions were not a factor in Lavelle’s withdrawal – she simply wanted to avoid “any risk”. Hayes stressed that everyone needed to be healthy before travelling to France. This was U.S. forward Catalina Macario was forced to withdraw. He was removed from the team due to “minor knee pain.”
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American forward during the match Mallory Swanson She seemed to struggle with corner kicks, with large sections of the field peeling away during several of her attempts.
“(The field) was OK,” Swanson said with a laugh, “but it’s no secret that in the corners I was definitely feeling like I was kicking my feet in the dirt.”
Swanson took corner kicks over and over on the rough turf (Brad Smith/Getty Images)
The pitch has been bustling with visitors recently. Audi Field is Major League Soccer DC United took on Nashville SC on Saturday after the stadium hosted a rugby international between the USA and Scotland the previous night, part of which took place just after severe thunderstorms swept through the DC area. This weekend, United are back at the Audi for a friendly against Scotland’s Celtic, and there will be even more intensity on the pitch.
A source familiar with D.C. United’s operations said Tuesday that the turf, originally scheduled to be replaced in early June, will be replaced later this month.
The stadium will also host the two-day Broccoli City Festival later this month.
“It was a bit rough for sure,” the midfielder said. Sam Coffey He said of the field: “I noticed it in the training before the game. I think there’s a lot of other stuff that’s happened on this field. Just like the heat, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“We can’t use that as an excuse or a reason why we can’t get the job done. It wasn’t the best field we’ve had, but it wasn’t a factor in us not getting the job done tonight.”
Audi Field is also Northwestof Washington SpiritThe NFL will not return to the stadium until mid-August, while the United Football League’s DC Defenders finished their season earlier in the summer, and the USL Super League’s new DC Power will begin playing at Audi Field in the fall.
When asked about the water on Tuesday, U.S. captain Lindsey Horan said “no comment.”
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This summer Copa America Pitch conditions in the U.S. have been in the spotlight. The men’s international tournament was marred by field problems. Players and coaches Complained about the quality Natural grass laid on some of the grass fields lamented the dimensions of the fieldThis was the minimum standard for major tournaments.
One memorable example is Uruguay’s manager Marcelo Bielsa. Tournament Organizer They accused him of lying to protect his own interests.
(Top photo: Pablo Maurer)
