By Andrea Canales

In some ways, the promise of artificial grass was too good to be true. Yet who wouldn’t want a permanently green surface that would play like lush grass, but never need water, fertilizer, mowing, or aeration? Everyone loved the idea that a synthetic turf field would never be affected by wear and tear that limited games on grass fields. Flooding could ruin a grass field – that wouldn’t happen to the manufactured pitch.

In many ways, the promise has been fulfilled. In recreational parks and schools around the country, turf fields offer a more consistent and cheaper playing surface for games of all kinds.

The demands of a professional player are different, though, and the ideal dream of turf’s possibilities is to some more of a nightmare. The game at the top level reveals a vast gap between what such a person requires and what an artificial surface provides – similar to that of telling a professional baker to work with an Easy-Bake oven.

Yet in Major League Soccer, that’s exactly what some players have to do. Four teams – New York, Toronto, New England and Real Salt Lake – play in stadiums without real grass – though only for Toronto is this situation considered permanent.

Playing on turf isn’t all bad for these squads. There seems to be a statistical advantage to being familiar with the bounce of the ball on the turf – teams on such surfaces have impressive home records.

One fan ran an analysis of the club records to quantify the effect, looking at games from 2004 to the present, (before 2004 matches were played under non-standard rules with shootouts, so no draws were ever registered).

The league-wide average for the last four years turned out to be 1.651 points at home for every one point earned on the road. But teams playing on turf averaged 1.847 points per game at home for every point earned away. Turf-playing teams playing away at other clubs with artificial fields earned 23 of 66 possible points, 34.8% of possible points

Non-turf playing teams playing away at stadiums with synthetic surfaces earned 114 of 408 possible points, 27.9% of possible points.

Perhaps the inherent advantage gained via familiarity is one reason that players of clubs generally don’t complain about having to perform on artificial grounds. Others wait until they get away from such a situation.

Edson Buddle might be the biggest surprise of the names topping the MLS Golden Boot list. Previous to joining the LA Galaxy, the forward played for New York and Toronto, both teams with turf fields, and struggled to be effective. This season so far, he has nine goals in only ten games

“He’s been great,” praised teammate Landon Donovan, “It’s not like balls are falling to him, or bouncing the right way. He’s making good plays. The goal [versus Columbus] was fantastic, just the touch to quickly swing by Danny [O’Rourke] and then a great finish.”

Buddle pinpointed playing on a natural field as one key reason that he has scored so often this year.

“I’m back on grass,” said Buddle, who scored two hat tricks this season. “Playing 16 home games on turf really takes a toll on your body.”

He didn’t mince words regarding his dislike for synthetic turf.

“I hate it,” Buddle exclaimed, then blamed specific injuries on having to play on it. “I got a bunion in New York the first year I got there. I got Achilles problems – it’s not good for the Achilles.”

That brings up the tradeoff for any team that receives a “home-turf” advantage – do they ultimately pay the cost in injuries to their players? Though he scored goals like a machine last season, New York’s Juan Pablo Angel has been sidelined this year due to various injuries, including severe back pain. His teammate, Claudio Reyna, has also been out for the majority of the season.

“They’re going to go through their problems,” sympathized Buddle. “They’re going to keep a smile on their face and not complain, because they’re good pros, but I’m pretty sure they’re frustrated, being on turf.”

The weight of a professional player, and the force exerted by the hard running and cutting required for soccer at the top level, means that there is a physical price to pay that differs from that of a light child or a rec league player on the same surface. Another factor to consider is that due to the demands of the game, many players perform slightly injured, with strains and pulls that are vulnerable to the toll of pounding on the rubber pellet surface.

“You’re never a hundred percent, ever again,” Buddle mentioned. “I’m playing (through injury), but like every guy on our team has injuries. I’m sure that there are little things they all have.” 

The most infamous recent MLS case of playing through injury may be David Beckham, who, though he declared his dislike for turf last year, performed on a still-healing ankle against New York. Though he assisted on more than one Galaxy goal that day, the team eventually lost, and Beckham was limping noticeably at game’s end.

Some older players are especially affected by turf conditions. Perhaps due to past knee injuries, Abel Xavier does not play on artificial fields. Cobi Jones, whose career was afflicted by heel problems, played very limited minutes on unnatural turf in his final year with the Galaxy,

Though most teams stifle their discontent publicly, Buddle assured that in private, the outcry against turf is nearly universal among the players.

“Oh, everybody does [complain about the turf]”, Buddle said.

In fact, more than a few players are now coming forward with their objections. Though BMO field, where Toronto plays, is designated as the national stadium for Canada, several of Canada’s top players have come forward to protest against playing there. They do not want to play the next crucial round of World Cup qualifying (where Mexico and other squads make up a “group of death” for Canada) at BMO . Stars such as Dwayne DeRosario and Julian DeGuzman have indicated their preference for the grass field Saputo Stadium, a United Soccer Leagues facility in Montreal.

It’s not surprising, given that many of Canada’s top players perform on grass abroad, that they hesitate to change up playing surfaces.

So much of how a team plays is due to confidence. If Canada’s own players don’t feel comfortable or secure on the ground their feet run on, the team probably has little hope of advancing.

After all, self-belief turned Buddle’s career around.

“He’s more confident,” said Donovan. “It’s funny, now that he’s scoring, he’s actually become more unselfish. He’s looking and making the right passes and the right plays that wasn’t happening earlier in the year because he was pressing a little bit. It’s good.”

Canada’s players do not posses the familiarity with synthetic turf that might provide Toronto FC players a competitive advantage, helping the team to an unbeaten record this season. Yet even Toronto’s players, perhaps out of regard for their own health, according to Buddle, have little affection for the surface of BMO, despite other things they might enjoy about the locale.

"Playing on grass and being on the East Coast, we feel it's the best chance for us to do what we're trying to do," Greg Sutton, Toronto FC goalkeeper, told the Canadian press.  "We're making a stand to a degree and we're hoping [the Canadian federation] can understand that and that we're adamant about it.”

When even TFC’s players want to perform on grass, it’s clear that synthetic turf is a issue.

“Toronto’s a good team,” said Buddle. “It’s a fun little city. It’s a good environment, with good fans. But as soon as you get on the field, it’s turf. It’s terrible.”

HAVE YOUR SAY…
Should MLS sides be required to have natural turf?  Does the artificial surface result in injuries and poor performances?  Send your emails to Soccer 365 by CLICKING HERE.

Reader Feedback

Andrea,

Thank you for reporting what all footballers have known for years.  Please send your report to those morons at FIFA.

Mark F
New Jersey

Why would anyone think that an artificial surface is adequate for top level domestic league or international soccer.  Hopefully more teams and new teams to MLS will be required to play on natural grass.  Thanks Andrea.

Jeff B
Ohio

For me nothing is better than a natural grass pitch. I've played on artificial turf and it's not the same as when you go down hard on it the artificial turf doesn't have the give natural grass does so I'd have to say for soccer it's much better to play on natural grass.
 
Irish S
Point Fermin, Ca

Watching the ball bounce on artificial turf has to make the "powers that be" in the game aware that this is not real soccer. The skill factor loses out and then come the injuries. Queens Park Rangers in the old English League played on a synthetic surface for a season or so until an eventual outcry (most commonly ligament damage) lead to it's removal.  Before the Fire played in the present stadium, they played in Naperville, Illinois on a plastic surface. I stopped going to see them as the ball never stopped bouncing. It was like ping pong.

All surfaces have to be natural

Theo O