Caught in Possession

Apologies for the shameful lack of posts recently...last week brought a trip out of town on short notice, then a busy holiday weekend polished me off. But there's plenty to talk about this week, starting with another note to add to the growing chorus of doubt and fear -- can we officially call it a backlash yet? -- regarding the second generation of artificial turf which has been taking the U.S. by storm in recent years.

Personally, I am constantly playing on the fake stuff these days, between indoor games at Dulles Sportsplex and the lion's share of my Washington International Soccer League (WISL) men's league matches taking place at FieldTurf pitches around DC and northern Virginia. Maybe it's not the ideal surface for soccer, but anyone who's played in a DC-area league lately -- not only soccer, but also other sports like lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, et al -- can tell you how scarce (and expensive) field space has gotten and how easily grass fields can get torn, worn and pounded into dust and stubble under heavy traffic.

FieldTurf can be used around the clock and gives you the same bounce, however different that bounce may be from real grass, every time...and there are ecological considerations too, with the water and fertilizer levels required to maintain a good grass pitch.

But professionals don't have to experience the frustration of playing on patchy, dusty, rutted fields at local high schools and rec parks. In my conversations with various members of DC United's squad there's been little question of the evils of FieldTurf, among those who have spent their careers on natural grass as well as those who've spent time with clubs that play on plastic pitches...like Zach Wells, for example. We discussed the topic a while back, after United's 4-0 debacle on Real Salt Lake's rock-hard surface at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and I was reminded of it again this week:

"I think if you ask most players around the league, they will say that FieldTurf should not be allowed anywhere," said Wells. "Personally, I dealt with plantar fasciitis for two seasons, and I’m just overcoming it – I had a procedure in the offseason to help it, and I’ve been taking care of it – and just getting on that turf [in Salt Lake City] and training for two days, it flared it up right away. I could feel it in my joints and everything, and that’s after a day or two.

"Granted, I was up in New York on it for two years as well, at the beginning of my career. I don’t know if there’s any scientific evidence but just talking to guys on how they feel, I don’t think it’s ever an ideal situation...The wear and tear on your joints, in a game where you’ve got to run 90 minutes – goalkeepers are one thing, but guys have to run 90 minutes and do a lot of cutting, do 360-degree movements. And just the way the ball plays on it, too – it’s never going to be a pretty game.

"It’s a weird surface – the ball’s bounce, how do you train for that? Fortunately [RSL is] moving into a natural-grass stadium three-quarters of the way through the season, and I’m glad to see that New York is going to do the same. So from all the players’ perspectives in the league, everyone would love to do away with FieldTurf. You can quote that one for sure."

What do you think?