Chelsea fans fume over ‘dangerous’ pitch ahead of Borussia Dortmund friendly clash at Soldier Field
Chelsea fans have expressed their frustration and concern over the condition of the Soldier Field pitch ahead of their match against Borussia Dortmund. The Blues are set to face the Bundesliga team at the home stadium of MLS side Chicago Fire in their final pre-season tour game in America.
The state of the Soldier Field pitch has raised eyebrows among Chelsea supporters, who fear that it could pose a risk of injury to their players. The grass appears patchy and dry, causing fans to take to social media to voice their worries.
Some fans went as far as suggesting that the club should take legal action if any injuries occur as a result of the poor pitch conditions. Others humorously compared the field to the carpet at the entrance of their own homes, emphasizing the subpar quality.
There were also calls for the game to be called off altogether, with fans urging caution and the protection of their players. One fan specifically mentioned the need to keep Reece James away from the potentially hazardous pitch.
In the midst of these concerns, talkSPORT’s football match centre was highlighted, providing fans with a reliable source for Chelsea fixtures, results, and live Premier League standings.
It is evident that Chelsea fans are deeply disappointed with the state of the Soldier Field pitch and are hoping for a safe and injury-free match against Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea Football Club supporters have expressed a level of anger towards the state of the playing field at Soldier Field in Chicago ahead of the team’s friendly Europe-based match Sunday against Borussia Dortmund.
The expected capacity for the match between the London-based team and German-based team has been listed as between 37,000 and 40,000, but Chelsea fans mockingly viewed the playing surface as resembling a surface that less than half of that number of people would be playing on.
An article in the UK’s The Guardian newspaper highlighted how some Chelsea fans were using social media to express their concerns, describing the field as “terrible,” “patchy,” and a “dangerous” surface.
While photos provided by the newspaper showed brown sections of turf divided by white lines and a full width of artificial turf at one side, the venue pushed back on the conversation at hand, claiming instead that the field had normal wear and that weather had caused the turf to only be in optimal condition in a few areas.
The club added that no players had seen the pitch and that all parties involved would be briefed on the conditions when the players arrive.
Reuters news agency provided further confirmation that the pitch had conformed to the expectations of FIFA, which sets the international standards for football pitches.
Regardless of the current state of the field, the mood of most of the Chelsea faithful seems to be less than excited for the encounter.
The latest friendly match follows a full week of activity on the tour, where the team has gone through many stops across the United States and Mexico.
With the match fast approaching, the team will be looking forward to making the most of the afternoon fixture under what are expected to be rather uncomfortable conditions.