Sangam Beop is a faction, Jeonju Castle has collapsed...Need for Integrated Control Tower for Lawn Issues
Sangam Beop is a faction, Jeonju Castle has collapsed...Need for Integrated Control Tower for Lawn Issues
Blog Article
The grass was the hero of the match between FC Seoul and Gimcheon held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sunday. Due to freezing cold, the grass was dug deep just by the players running. Players had to fill the grass and step on it frequently, and many players had sprained their ankles slightly like Lingard and Jeong Seung-won. The ball didn't roll smoothly, and as time went by, players often make long passes or fly passes. At the end of the match, a ball that Yazan sent to the front slightly to kick at a distance bounced due to the grass.
Therefore, many people, including the coaches of both teams, agreed that the grass condition was the worst on the day. "One of the game models our team wants is a rear build-up, and mistakes are inevitable on this grass," said Kim Jeong-yong, manager of Gimcheon. "I want to dynamically develop the ball and take it at a fast tempo, but it was not easy for both teams," he said. "We need a forward-looking approach to the grass issue for soccer development."
"The grass problem came from the first round," Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong said. Not only Sangam, but also the league started early, and the weather is cold, causing all stadiums to freeze and threaten injuries. "Playing with bad grass is quick to damage," he said. "Playing with no grass taken root causes grass to be dug up faster. Lingard sprained his ankle due to grass."
▲ Sangambeol is a big hit, and Jeonju Castle has collapsed
The Korea Football Association has decided to place the A match in March at Goyang Stadium (against Oman) and Suwon World Cup Stadium (against Jordan) instead of Seoul World Cup Stadium. It was an indirect message that Seoul World Cup Stadium is not in a good condition to play in international matches. If only Seoul World Cup Stadium has grass problems like this, it is enough to criticize the Seoul club and the Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation. They need to come up with a solution.
However, the grass issue is not just a problem in Seoul but a problem that all teams across the country are agonizing over. As the grass was not grown enough due to the early season this year, Jeonbuk Hyundai had to play the first round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Two (ACLT) quarterfinals at Jeonju World Cup Stadium due to grass problems. AFC requested a substitute stadium, and Jeonbuk chose Yongin Mir Stadium, 140 kilometers away from the clubhouse as an alternative. It means they are playing the same home game because of grass.
Last year, K-League clubs suffered from grass problems caused by the scorching heat. Gwangju FC was not able to play ACL Elite (ACLE) at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium in October last year, so it had to go up to Yongin Mir Stadium to play as well as Jeonbuk did. Ulsan HD was not able to use the Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium due to the same problem, but it used the nearby Ulsan Sports Complex as an alternative, which did not create much buzz compared to Gwangju FC.
Lawn problems occurred simultaneously at various stadiums, and last year, the problem was more serious due to record heat. Even the A-match had to be moved to Yongin Mir Stadium. It is clear that each club should respond to the grass problem first, but in some ways, the grass problem may have exceeded the scope that each club can solve.
▲ Can money solve the grass problem?
Some say that if you spend enough, you can solve the grass problem. At first glance, it seems right, but it's just an opinion that blurs the issue. Huge amounts of money can solve not only grass problems but also all other problems in the world.
Golf course grass, which is mentioned as a representative ground in the so-called "logic of capital," is clearly different from soccer field grass. While golf courses are outdoors with good lighting and ventilation, soccer courses are surrounded by concrete, which limits lighting and ventilation. The optimal grass conditions for each sport are also different in many aspects, including length, quality, and firming of the ground.
Crucially, the lawn of a golf course, which is managed by spending more money than a soccer field, was also severely damaged by the hot weather last year. Many golf courses nationwide mostly use Kentucky Bluegrass, the same type of lawn as a soccer field, but recently, they are changing to middle ground, a lawn that is used to prepare for severe summer heat.
It is also difficult to conclude that the grass problem on a soccer field is "because the stadium does not belong to the team." In order for a team to own each stadium, it has to endure enormous annual costs, including taxes and maintenance costs as well as purchase costs of the stadium. Unless it is one of the world's largest economic clubs like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, they do not necessarily own the stadium. In some cases, like Serie A in Italy, teams are not allowed to own stadiums at all. Close cooperation between each club and the Facilities Management Corporation is needed to solve the grass problem. If sufficient funds are added to this, of course, it is the icing on the cake. 안전놀이터
There are also problems that cannot be solved only by money. As mentioned, last year, not only soccer fields but also golf courses suffered serious grass problems due to a record-breaking heat wave. Korea has more annual crossings than general European countries or Japan, where grass is known to be well managed. There is humid heat of over 35 degrees Celsius in summer and dry coldness below minus 10 degrees Celsius in winter. It is a heinous environment for grass to grow. In other words, in order to solve the grass problem in Korean soccer fields, the process of Koreanization is essential beyond simply taking the world's soccer fields as an example.