âIâm more of a grass guy than a soccer guyâ: Meet the expert engineering the perfect World Cup turf | CNN
When the World Cup starts next week, no one will be watching the pitch more closely than John Trey Rogers. The players will have their eyes on the ball; the referees will be studying the gameplay. Rogers will be focused on the grass beneath their feet. Rogers, professor of turfgrass research at Michigan State University, is the grass guru responsible for the quality and durability of the World Cup pitches at the tournamentâs 16 venues in North America. âIâm more of a grass guy than a soccer guy,â he said. The World Cup, which begins June 11, will see 48 teams playing 104 matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada over the course of six weeks, with conditions spanning from southern heat and humidity to temperate, northern climates. The turf may not be top of mind for many fans, but itâs a critical component of the high-stakes tournament, as it affects the physics of the ball and playersâ movements, and the likelihood of injury. While eight of the host stadiums are normally outfitted with artificial turf, and the rest sport natural turfgrass, all the stadiums must have their fields replaced with the grass most perfect for the game. This process is complicated by
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