‘Fast, firm and unpredictable’: What players, coaches and FIFA said about the pitch in New Jersey ahead of the World Cup final

General view of the stadium during the World Cup match in East Rutherford. (AP photo) As Argentina and Spain prepare for Sunday’s World Cup title battle in East Rutherford, another key player has come under intense scrutiny – the pitch.The hybrid grass surface at New York’s New Jersey Stadium has drawn mixed reactions throughout the tournament, with players and coaches offering mixed views after seven World Cup matches played at the venue. Some described it as too fast, hard and uneven, while others felt the rain turned it into one of the better playing surfaces. Neither Argentina nor Spain have played at the stadium during this World Cup, adding another layer of intrigue to the final, where pitch conditions could affect tactics and style.With heavy rain forecast on Saturday before sunny conditions on match day, the pitch remains one of the biggest unknowns heading into football’s biggest game.

Fast, solid and unpredictable: What players have experienced

One recurring theme from players and coaches was the speed of the hybrid turf.England coach Thomas Tuchel described him as “very fast” and compared him to artificial turf due to his short grass.“It’s a very fast pitch,” Tuchel said after England’s group stage match against Panama. “It’s very short… quite bouncy… very hard and very fast, but good, playable and no one complained.”But Brazilian star Vinicius Junior was less impressed after the clash with Morocco.“The field doesn’t help,” he noted.France midfielder Adrien Rabiot echoed those concerns, saying the surface was hard and stiff compared to European pitches, while coach Didier Deschamps admitted it was physically demanding.Deschamps said the pitch was “special” and noted that it “took a lot out of the players’ muscles.”When France made a comeback later in the knockout stages, Rabiot acknowledged the conditions had improved and the grass seemed a little longer.

Rain could hold the key on Sunday

If there’s one lesson to be learned from the seven games played on the pitch, it’s that rain changes the behavior of the pitch dramatically.Norway coach Ståle Solbakken offered perhaps the most detailed assessment after his side played Senegal in torrential rain.“The pitch was a lot better because of the rain,” Solbakken said. “The rain made the ball not hang on your leg. It’s faster, smoother.”He admitted he was more worried about the dry conditions than the wet, suggesting that short grass becomes more difficult when moisture is lacking.This observation could prove significant.Heavy rain is expected to drench the stadium area on Saturday before clear skies arrive for Sunday’s final. If enough moisture remains on the surface, players may encounter a faster and smoother course than those who competed in drier seasons.

FIFA confident after weeks of preparation

According to an AP report, FIFA insists that the pitch was carefully managed throughout the tournament.Installed in early May using natural grass reinforced with synthetic fibers, the hybrid pitch underwent more than five years of research and testing ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Over the course of the competition, officials regularly monitored moisture, firmness and playability and adjusted irrigation plans after watching how well the surface performed during rain-soaked matches.The governing body also deliberately left a 13-day gap between the last match at the venue and the final, allowing the ground to recover before football’s biggest event.Whether the final course will resemble the fast, dry surface criticized by some players, or the slippery rain course praised by Solbakken, may ultimately depend on the weather over the next 24 hours.For two possession-based teams like Argentina and Spain, this subtle difference could have a major impact on the course of the World Cup final.