https://ca.style.yahoo.com/portland...rquee-mls-clubs-overall-reboot-150102144.html ^ In there is mentioned the possibility of a hybrid grass field in 2022.
Stated this in a thread on reddit months ago that the Toronto FC and BMO Field going to a hybrid surface was big, as MLS is a copycat league. The moment one club actually stopped talking about doing a hybrid surface and actually did it other owners from other clubs with artificial surfaces would see how nice they looked and would start to make the switch. The next big step would be the NFL/MLS teams like Seattle and Atlanta. I often think about what would happen if the Sounders ownership offered to put in a hybrid pitch at Century Link and paid for it if the Seahawks ownership group would object.
And by "Seattle and Atlanta" I'm assuming you meant to type "Seattle and New England" - unless 1) you think the Revs are actually getting their own stadium and 2) you have a secret method to grow grass inside a dome (and, no, the opening will not provide enough sunlight coverage).
I did mean to say Atlanta and yes New England & Vancouver would fit too. I feel people often say this about Hybrid grass but forget the fact that the whole reason hybrid grass was created was to get around not having enough sunlight to grow grass. Below is the reddit thread it was discussed. and some articles where it's inferred minimum sun-light is needed it's actually pretty cool how durable the grass is and its's even in opened domed stadiums. https://www.xtragrass-hybrid-turf.com/xtragrass/ https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/commen...o_fc/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share SIS Grass Installation at Samara Arena in Russia for 2018 WC SIS-Grass Luzhniki Stadium Russia 2018 WC Mercedes Benz Stadium Roof fully opened. http://www.archiexpo.com/prod/desso-sports-systems/product-11165-1563630.html "With every seat covered by the roof and the pitch located six metres below ground, Etihad Stadium is both intimate and intimidating. This striking architecture has implications for the pitch: lack of sunlight and fresh air make it very difficult for natural grass to grow. But with 20 million artificial grass fibres injected into the pitch, the stadium always has a stable and even field."
I haven't really watched enough games at those stadiums to notice, but does the ball have a natural roll and bounce on those fields? That's my biggest problem with turf fields today. If a synthetic field has a nice natural roll and bounce it seems like a no brainer.
Lack of direct sunlight hasn’t been an issue for at least half a decade (maybe a full decade). There are now dual purpose stadium lights that act as growlights as well as for lighting (Red Bull Arena has these) and several options for growlights on wheels that can be used to mitigate the lack of sunlight issue. Realistically, the only impediment to installing grass is cost and use. Use is why BC Place will likely never get grass and NFL teams seem to prefer turf, so I’m not sure the teams that share a stadium with an NFL team will switch unless the players make it a safety issue.
Depends? Portland’s turf is softer and has longer blades, so it is better for soccer and plays very well.. The Timbers also seem to replace their turf more often. New England and Seattle are more grid iron friendly and don’t seem to replace it as often. As a result, their turf seems to play okay for about a season, then it can ping pong and run fast.
I have only been able to catch a few TFC games on ESPN+ this year and it looks to play just like grass. There isn't the awkward bounces you see on turf fields. I'd wager it plays just like regular grass after all a few stadiums at the Russia World Cup had hybrid surfaces like Samara Arena and Luhzniki Stadium
For all intents and purposes, hybrid is grass. Something like 90% or higher of the blades are real grass and the real blades are taller than the fake blades. The fake stuff acts more as anchors for the real grass as it encourages deeper root growth and gives the roots something to grip onto.
Yes I think the only real reasons owners haven't went full in on Hybrid Turf was cost. There has been the technology for a while now. It was just easier using the excuse like was bandied around for Portland for years of the field being below the water table/underground stream etc rather than just saying right now it will cost us too much money and it's just not cost effective. I think overtime and with the reality that synthetic turf isn't as durable as it was made out to be, with the frequency these surfaces are having to be replaced. Which is practically every season; ownership probably have privately said the amount we are paying every year to every other year replacing this we might as well invest in a hybrid surface sooner rather than later in Portland's case. This is regardless of what's been said publicly it just makes better business since and not to mention the benefit it has to the players. In some instances hybrid surfaces just became a necessity like in Toronto's case.
Yes you are correct, SIS Grass which Toronto uses is a 95% organic to 5% synthetic fill. I've seen the mixture to be as low as 80% organic to 20% synthetic fill for the really durable stuff like Fibrelastic the brand which Newcastle and Rangers use. http://www.fibrelasticturf.com/fibrelastic.html . I'd imagine that's the stuff you'd want to use for domes/semi enclosed arenas or football/rugby and mixed use stadiums.
One last one from last night. Two pictures taken 9 years apart in about the same spot. Pretty amazing transformation, @ProvidencePark_. #RCTID pic.twitter.com/3r2uPjDc2S— Patrick Brown (@pbrowntv) June 2, 2019
This thread is basically done. I suggest it be closed until Merritt decides to add hybrid grass in two or three years.
I was wrong. Last two pages have been nuked... my bad on kicking that whole discussion off. I’ll see myself out.
I am interested to hear how it goes the rest of the season, post-renovation. As Paulson said, how people really use it, how it breathes etc. I'm excited to hear reactions to the environment in a rivalry match... and any match where the home keeper doesn't poop the rose city's pants in the first few minutes.