Messi playing on a turf field? The best soccer player to ever play the game is coming to America. Let’s make sure he only plays on grass soccer fields and not on turf.
We can’t let Messi play on turf while he’s playing for Inter Miami. It’s fine if he just rests for those soccer games. He earned it after winning the World Cup for Argentina. Imagine seeing Messi injured due to playing on a turf soccer field in the United States. What would the world think?
And what’s more, while of course nobody wants Messi to get a serious injury while playing on turf in the MLS, I don’t want him even to get a turf burn of some kind!
But playing on turf is just too risky overall. It’s hard to cut and turn on turf without getting your foot caught in place.
Turf lacks the same level of responsiveness as grass, making it difficult to execute quick cuts and turns without getting one’s foot stuck in place. With turf, when a player plants their foot, it can become immobilized, hindering their movement. For someone like Messi, who frequently engages in cuts and turns, the prospect of getting his foot or ankle trapped in an unyielding turf surface is the last concern he needs to think about.
What’s more, Messi is not someone who has any experience playing on turf. Unlike some MLS players who grew up playing in stadiums like Portland or Seattle in the United States.
Nico Cantor, from CBS Sports Golazo, correctly states Messi playing on turf shouldn’t happen.
Honestly can’t believe there are people defending turf in my mentions. It’s like if an NBA team had a cement court instead of hardwood…and they preferred CEMENT! 😱
There is no top club in the world that plays on turf. And we’re bringing the world’s top player
— Nico Cantor (@Nicocantor1) June 14, 2023
Right now, there are only five MLS teams that play on artificial surfaces or turf. Those MLS teams are: Atlanta, New England, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver.
What those MLS teams will do if they’re smart, is overlay their turf fields with natural grass. As stadiums do when national teams play there. But there too lies a problem, because when they lay down the grass it’s just not quite as stable as fixed grass fields. Still though, it is better than a hard turf field which they attempt to soften by watering it down.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry smartly didn’t play on turf when they played for the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls, respectively. At 35 years of age, Messi doesn’t need to fly across the country to play on turf in Seattle or Portland if they’re not going to lay grass on the soccer field. Just don’t think it’s to see on Messi on a turf field.
And while we’re at it, we should probably make Messi play with only his right foot only. To make his time in the MLS fair to other teams and players.
Update: Atlanta not changing their turf field for Messi.
I reached out to Atlanta United to see if the Mercedes Benz Stadium turf will be replaced w/grass due to Messi’s pending arrival.
Per an ATLUTD spokesperson: “We’re confident in our turf.” https://t.co/9Hchno7KpT
— Felipe Cárdenas (@FelipeCar) June 14, 2023
