NFL-After complaints, NFL bets on field upgrades for second Brazil game

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By Fernando Cardoso

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -When the Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs face off on Friday for the second-ever NFL game in Brazil, the league hopes its investment in the Sao Paulo venue is enough to overcome field complaints from players last year.

After last year’s opening week game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers at the Corinthians Arena, both teams aired their issues with what they called “slippery” grass, comparing it to turf fields that the NFL used decades ago.

Scenes of players stumbling on the field, including Eagles running back Saquon Barkley’s first carry of the night, led some to change cleats mid-game and even irked NBA great LeBron James, who trashed the grass conditions in a social media post.

To prevent a repeat, the NFL partnered with soccer club Corinthians to improve the stadium’s field conditions for this year’s game, investing half a million dollars, according to reports by Brazilian media. 

Both Corinthians and an NFL official confirmed an investment in the field, but declined to comment on the value. The changes were made between June and July, during a break in the Brazilian soccer season, they said.

“We are always focused on delivering the best experience for our teams in every way, and certainly the field surface is a key component of that,” Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president for club business, international & league events, said in a call with reporters last week.

“Our team has been down there, working with Corinthians to ensure the best possible field surface for this game, and we feel confident in that,” he added.

Corinthians said one of the main upgrades was the renewal of the synthetic fibres underpinning the grass with a process called “stitching,” which had not been done since the preparations for the 2014 soccer World Cup.

In a note on social media, the Corinthians Arena press team said the stadium’s grass is “technologically well-prepared to endure the intensity of American football,” calling it a “next-generation hybrid system.”

Some players are already drawing lessons from last year’s game in Sao Paulo and preparing their own strategies to stay on their feet.

“It is something we always address before the game. We’ve seen the film, we talked about it. As long as we are wearing the right cleats and we are properly equipped, I think we’ll be able to handle it,” Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert told reporters on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Fernando CardosoEditing by Christian Radnedge)