Beyond the fact that the stadiums of the Copa America in the United States are architectural monsters, they have been an inexhaustible source of criticism during the competition. Playing fields in poor condition, bad positioning of the cameras, empty stands and smaller dimensions of the field. This last factor caused the protagonists to publicly express their discontent. Why are they smaller?
“I would like to draw attention to the size of the pitches. It will mean that the matches will be more closely contested. A team that defends its own area will be able to counterattack and reach the attacking half much quicker. It is worth thinking about that,” said Dorival Junior, the Brazilian coach, after the goalless draw with Costa Rica. His Colombian colleague, Nestor Lorenzo, also spoke out on the matter: “The measurements are extremely narrow. You see throw-ins that reach the six-yard box regularly, even I, without any strength, could get the ball there. Almost all the players are used to playing on a much wider and longer pitch, too.”
Both are right. The competition is being played on the smallest playing fields allowed by CONMEBOL: 100 metres long by 64 metres wide. What is the reason for this situation? Because 10 of the 14 venues that host the matches are from the NFL, the American football league. There, each field is 110 metres long, but only 49 metres wide. That is why it is very difficult to enlarge their dimensions, since in many there is no physical space to do so. The stadiums that do have the ideal size had to be reduced to match the rest.
This situation favours two types of teams: those who drop back to defend their area and those who press hard. The reason is clear: on a narrower pitch, there is less space for the opponent; and in a football where the use of space is increasingly important, this is a problem. It is also noticeable that the players are used to something else. It was seen many times that they are overpowered when taking corners or free kicks and the goalkeepers have launched many counterattacks by kicking from their own area.
For the 2026 World Cup, it will be a different story. All venues will have to comply with FIFA regulations, which require a playing surface of 105 metres long by 68 metres wide. In some stadiums, even multi-million-dollar works will have to be carried out to remove the first rows of seats and enlarge the pitch.
But beyond the fact that there will be a solution for the future, the problem is in the present. And in order to avoid playing in stadiums with a smaller capacity – and therefore reduce ticket revenue – they decided that the Copa America will be played on playing fields with the same dimensions as those used in the lower divisions of many countries around the world.
2024-07-03 11:37:09
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