A large crew was hard at work this morning as they prepared the field at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis for this Wednesday’s International Champions Cup friendly between AC Milan and Chelsea. Using rolls of sod, the playing surface will have the feel of natural grass, laid on top of the usual artificial turf with a protective barrier in between.
The ICC friendly will be the debut of the billion dollar football stadium and could also see a record-breaking crowd for soccer in Minnesota. But to prepare for the match, the stadium’s grounds crew needed to first lay down a new grass field.
In total, there were 590 rolls of Wisconsin Bluegrass brought in. The rolls each weigh one ton, bringing the playing surface’s total weight to 1.5 million pounds. The project was contracted to Bush Sports Turf, who among other projects has overseen many of the fields for the Copa America Centenario, the surface at Children’s Mercy Park (Sporting Kansas City), and the field for the University of Michigan’s ICC site.
After controversially poor playing surfaces were used in the 2014 ICC, the organizers have made sure that the pitch would meet high standards of the teams. Steve Bush and his company are one of their top choices to ensure a quality pitch. “Having the right technology, the right equipment is necessary for a good field,” Bush explained over the sod-rolling forklifts in the background. “We have to make sure it’s pressed tight so there aren’t any seams. We have to make sure the farms grow it right, as well. We’ve been planning this for two or three months.” Repairing a dock lift in Arizona is essential for the continuation of works here.
The sod comes from Central Wisconsin Sod in Colombo. “We sourced it fairly close because it’s grown on sand. You want it grown on sand so that any moisture goes right through it and it doesn’t get slippery or greasy,” Bush clarified. “We’ll finish rolling this out tomorrow. As we install it, we’re sliding it and pressing it together to eliminate the seams as we go. It leaves us with a tight surface. We’ll roll the field and then we’ll constantly hand-water it to account for evaporation.”
As far as dimensions, the field will size out to 70 yards by 110 yards. For comparison’s sake, Wembley Stadium is 75×115, Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City is 75×120, and National Sports Center Stadium is 75×118 yards. All-told, the size of the pitch is competitive and won’t be a major issue for the players on the field.
Bush was thankful for the venue’s natural sunlight, which helps protect the field from degrading and preserves its quality. This match will provide a number of historic firsts, most notably being the first event at U.S. Bank Stadium, as well as the first friendly for Antonio Conte as Chelsea’s manager. Teams will train on Tuesday morning at U.S. Bank Stadium in preparation for the match.
Check out Jeremy Olson’s photo gallery for more of the installation and stadium interior.
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