REAL SALT LAKE – VANCOUVER CONTEST
POSTPONED
Soggy Field Conditions on Temporary Grass
Pitch at Empire Field Make Surface Unplayable
VANCOUVER, B.C., Canada (Saturday,
July 16, 2011)–Major League Soccer has announced that the Vancouver Whitecaps FC versus Real Salt Lake match scheduled for today
has been postponed after Major League Soccer and local club officials ruled
the pitch at Empire Field unplayable. The
match will be rescheduled in the near future.
This
week at the Bell Pitch at Empire Field, temporary grass sod was laid in
preparation for the 2011 Herbalife World Football Challenge match on Monday,
July 18, between Whitecaps FC and Manchester City FC. Steady rains in recent
days and limited options for drainage on the temporary surface made the field
unplayable for Saturday’s league fixture.
The
impromptu weekend off means that Real Salt Lake (8-3-6, 30 pts.; 4th
in West) will get the second half of its regular season slate underway at home
next Saturday, July 23, with its annual Pioneer Day Celebration contest against
the San Jose Earthquakes (5-6-7, 22 pts.; T-6th in West). Les Olson
Company will present both the 8:00 p.m. MT kickoff at Rio Tinto Stadium and the
traditional holiday fireworks display to follow.
REAL SALT LAKE HEAD
COACH JASON KREIS
Did you see the field and in your opinion was it at all
playable or not?
"The
coaches did get to walk along the sideline, but not on the field because it was
tarped over. In our opinion it was probably a pretty good decision; the grass
was pretty long and there was water coming up every time we took a step.”
How does the decision to postpone sit with the club?
“You
do have to take into consideration the health and well-being of the players, so
I’d have to say that this was the right call based on the amount of the field I
was able to walk on.”
Do you believe Vancouver’s friendly against Manchester City
played a part in the decision?
“I
have no idea. We didn’t have much communication with Vancouver’s people on this
or with MLS, so that’s not my department.”
www.RealSaltLake.com / www.RioTintoStadium.com / www.ESPN700Sports.com
