Even world-class players cannot display their skills on the Korean lawn. Jesse Lingard (FC Seoul), a K-League player from England, made critical comments on the grass conditions at the stadium.
Seoul won 1-0 with the winning goal of Ilyuchenko in the 22nd minute of the second half in the 32nd round of the "Hana Bank K League 1 2024" home game against Suwon FC at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 29th.
Lingard, who played as a central attacking midfielder in the 4-4-1-1 format on the day, assisted Ilyuchenko's finishing goal at the 22nd minute of the second half. Although he missed the penalty kick at the end of the second half, he contributed the most to the victory by scoring his first assist since joining the K-League 1.
However, in an interview with the mixed zone (joint coverage area) after the game, he expressed his frustration that he had accumulated so far. He pointed out the serious condition of grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, where the venue of the third Asian qualifying match for the 2026 North Korea-China World Cup was to be changed.
Lingard, who frowned as soon as the reporters brought up the word "zandi," shook his head, saying, "Personally, I think it's a little serious. In fact, the condition of the training ground is very bad and the condition of the stadium is very bad. You mentioned the comparison with the Premier League, but in the Premier League, you don't have to think that you have to hold the ball this well. I have faith that the ball will come well," he said. "But I think it's an environment where you can't produce good quality because it's a (zandi) condition where you have to think about catching the ball before thinking about the next play."
"Players ask not to make excuses for each other, but the environment itself is very disappointing. Personally, I think our team is playing really good soccer, but we need to be in good condition to play this soccer. However, I personally feel a bit disappointed in the environment where I can't play this soccer," he said.
"I don't want to make an excuse that we lose in this environment. We have to win the game, but Suwon was in the same environment. I don't want to make an excuse about the outcome of the game," he said. "I want to tell you that if the environment is a little good, we can show a much better performance," he said, expressing his hope to improve the grass condition for the fans.
The lawn condition of domestic stadiums as well as Seoul World Cup Stadium is disastrous. Most of the stadiums are in such poor condition that you can count the stadiums that are in excellent condition.
On the other hand, Japan with similar climate is different. "I usually watch Japan and the J-League often, but I like grass. I also talk to someone who manages grass in Suwon, but there is a big difference in the amount of money they manage," Suwon FC coach Kim Eun-joong told reporters before the match. "It's the same (as in Japan and Korea). But Japan invests a lot, but we invest a lot. I don't think we can play high quality soccer." This means that Koreans don't pay much attention to grass conditions.
After playing against Palestine in the World Cup in September, Son Heung-min, the captain of the national soccer team, said, "There were many good players, but there were difficulties in ball control and dribbling. Fans must have felt sorry for not being able to play at a fast tempo," and pointed out, "I hope it will be improved when playing at home."
Even the Palestinian coach criticized indirectly, saying, "I came to Korea after training in Malaysia, but the grass was different from that of Malaysia."
Against this backdrop, the Korea Football Association has also decided to play its home game against Iraq in October at Yongin Mir Stadium rather than at Seoul World Cup Stadium in line with 토토사이트 Asian Football Confederation regulations. Ulsan HD and Gwangju FC, which will play in the AFC Champions League, are also agonizing over the grass conditions at their home stadiums.
If the grass is not good, the play cannot be done properly. As Lingard said, he cannot think about his next move and act in advance, and he is in a hurry to hold the ball properly. This is why Lingard, who played in the Premier League of the world's best soccer league, cannot easily play with his mind.
It is especially fatal to a strong team that possesses ball for a relatively long time. Although some point out that the grass conditions are the same for both teams, the attacking team will be more affected than the one that focuses on defense. This is the same for the Korean national soccer team as well as the FC Seoul that uses the Seoul World Cup Stadium as its home ground.
In the end, it is imperative to improve the condition of the grass in order to see the players play properly. On poor grass, it is difficult for players to perform their skills, and fans cannot watch fun soccer.