Small playing surface contributes to increase in duels
After a few years of playing New York City FC at Yankee Stadium, it’s no secret that the field can often represent a challenge. Because of the stadium’s unique dimensions, the surface for the soccer pitch is approximately 100 metres long by 64 metres wide. It’s the smallest playing surface in MLS, and the smallest allowed by FIFA’s laws of the game.
That being said, head coach Rémi Garde knows it won’t be an excuse heading into the Impact’s afternoon tilt in the Bronx on Saturday afternoon.
“Yes, the field is small, but New York can’t occupy the entire field at once,” explained Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “We can’t be content with saying that the field is small, so we won’t have to run as much. Despite the size, the dimensions are still regulated.”
By now, most of the Impact’s players have already seen the famous MLB stadium firsthand, although some will be playing on its surface for the very first time this Saturday. The first team prepared by playing nine against nine during some parts of training this week and making sure the newcomers were aware of what to expect.
“We call it a ping-pong game sometimes,” said Samuel Piette. “You need to be ready for a duel every two or three seconds. That’s what we tried to recreate at training yesterday. It was intense with a lot of duels, not too different from what you face in a game. Everyone is ready and we know what to expect on Saturday.”
Physical play expected
If the smaller field already means that more duels are to be expected, the fact that both these teams will be looking to bounce back following difficult losses will also be a contributing factor to what should be a physical game on Saturday afternoon.
New York City FC remains winless this season and will be hoping to rectify the situation in front of its home fans at Yankee Stadium, especially after conceding four goals against Toronto FC last week.
“No matter the field, it remains a game of football,” said full-back Bacary Sagna. “They’re at home and they’ll want to bounce back. Compared to last season, things aren’t going as well for them, but they’re still a good team, dangerous, with quality players. It’s up to us to do what we need to do to play our game.”
