"2. What is the FakeTurf Effect Going to Be? ...I have a strong suspicion the reviews will not be glowing." No doubt. Anyone see the Mexico v Bolivia game last night? I think Clint dropped off the Euro-radar even before the World Cup. Since then he has fallen even further. Maybe Sunderland will have an interest in him - but he's gonna have to score mucho goals to get back into the Man City / Bayern stratopshere. I hope it happens for him - but I ain't betting on it. He's not on any of my fantasy teams, I'll say that.
I think a bigger quesiton for Dallas is going to be just who's going to parterner Kries up top. With EJ injured, it's been Rhine so far in preseason. Is this EJ's year?
I cannot believe that he called Chris Armas "an under-rated attacker". Personally, I don't think Armas provides anything to the attack on a consistent basis. I don't think he's a threat at all. James
James, I will agree with you on the international level which is where you might see him more...But Armas plays a much bigger role in the midfield with the Fire than the Nats.
I think he's referring to the fact that those were the two teams rumored to be interested in Mathis prior to the WC. James
I think the Turfnot is going to be an issue for sure. I hope it plays ok, but the game in Texas stadium was a little...off. I saw the game on TV, not in person, so that makes it hard. But I paid more attention to the way the ball played than the game itself. The ball probably bounces a couple inches higher, but the worse part seems to be the multiple hops. On turf the spin on the ball seems to change on the second then third hop. But on the upside, the ball does die at their feet OK. The passing is quick...too quick. The ball scooted on the turf faster than it does on grass, or appears to. I was thinking that Real Madrid and other teams will wet the turf before a game, which may play the same speed as faketurf. I think that Texas stadium and SLC have the same surface, but I'm not certain.
The surfaces are pretty similar. Texas Stadium has RealGrass while Southlake has FieldTurf. http://www.3rddegree.net/comment/burning/
Telemundo showed it this afternoon. I watched for a while then shut it off. I can't stand to watch the game on a football field. It's entirely too distracting. And someone needs to find a better solution for the corner flags then a twenty pound weight from their grandma's bench press. (You know, those plastic ones. No? Maybe your grandma isn't is buff as mine.) I wasn't sure that the Dallas Cowboys play on plastic. Why Dallas needs a plastic surface I can't figure out, but since I could think of no reason their field would be marked up in March, I supposed it was field turd. The corner-flag stands confirmed it. Inside the penalty area, the lines had apparently been erased or painted over, but the rest of the field was marked for football in bright thick white lines and yard wide sidelines that totally obscured the soccer markings. FIFA should impose a rule that no international matches can be played on a field in which football lines are more prominent than the soccer lines or markings in any color other than white. That would solve the problem of new stadiums painting permanent gridlines, since they all want the additional revenue from soccer games. And MLS teams that have to rent NFL stadiums should get a clause in their contracts that forbids excessive markings in the end zone, particularly painting all 500 square yards of it in loud colors. That practice buries the soccer goal in an add for the sport's retarded cousin. Kraft requires the Patriots to be almost classy in that their name is painted on the soccer goal line, and they don't paint the football sideline 3 feet wide. But that's still not good enough. I'll accept Field Turd or Danger Play or whatever new version is rolled out once the play the Masters on it. No, actually, that will just confirm my suspicion that golf isn't a sport. Anyway, the free kick was excellently taken.