USMNT star Weston McKennie criticizes lack of atmosphere, agrees with Argentina’s Copa America pitch complaint

USMNT star Weston McKennie has joined critics of playing conditions at the Copa America.

The tournament began on Thursday when Lionel Messi’s Argentina beat Canada 2-0 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

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However, although they may have won the game, coach Lionel Scaloni and Co.

“With all due respect, thank God we won, because otherwise it would have sounded like a cheap excuse to sit here and say that,” Scaloni said of the new field in Atlanta, via BeinSports.

Scaloni criticized the organizers for not changing grounds sooner, claiming: “It’s not good for the show. Sorry.”

“The stadium is beautiful and with synthetic grass it should be spectacular, but today’s pitch was not suitable for this type of player.”

Furthermore, Scaloni went on to say that his team had to adjust their tactics due to the field conditions.

Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez also hit the field, which he called “a disaster” and “very bumpy”, via ESPN.

“We have to improve in this aspect; otherwise, the Copa América will always appear at a lower level than the Eurocup.”

Things have since gotten worse for tournament organizers after McKennie added to growing criticism of the pitch conditions on offer.

“I think what Martinez was saying was completely true,” he said, as per Atlético.

If that wasn’t enough, the Juventus midfielder also highlighted the bad atmosphere at the games.

“It’s frustrating, especially as a player,” McKennie said.

“You know, whenever you come here to America you play in a stadium that can hold 70,000 people, but 25,000 show up.

“You don’t really have an atmosphere.

“And then you’re playing on a football field, with grass that’s all uneven and gets in the way of every step you take. It’s frustrating.”

The grass in question was recently laid over the existing synthetic grass, according to NBC Sports.

McKennie followed in Martinez’s footsteps when he also compared the playing conditions to those in Europe when speaking to The Athletic.

He noted how in the aforementioned Euros “everyone plays on excellent pitches, excellent grass, football-specific stadiums, football-specific stadiums, and you see the quality of the football.”

The USMNT has not yet started the tournament, with their first game scheduled for Sunday at 6pm ET when they face Bolivia.

It remains to be seen if/how McKennie’s concerns around atmosphere prove accurate.

As of Saturday afternoon, many tickets remain available starting at just $85.

They will play at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, where turf has also been laid for the event.

This will not be the first game played at the home of the Dallas Cowboys this week, as Chile and Peru already played out a 0-0 draw on Friday.

The action will return to Atlanta when the USMNT takes on Panama on June 27.

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