The Wildcats will now be able to enjoy truer rolls and consistent performance from their pitch.
By Peter Moseley
In October 2007, Northwestern University gave the men’s and women’s Wildcat soccer players a big boost. The University made the decision to install FieldTurf on Lakeside Field — a venue that has since gone on to receive the prestigious FIFA 2-Star recommended status.
FieldTurf, who has built a reputation of providing an excellent playing surface in all conditions, converted Northwestern’s new soccer facility into one of the premier collegiate soccer environments in the nation, and the FIFA 2-Star designation reaffirms the quality of the field.
“This FIFA 2-Star designation is great for our program. We are the first collegiate program in the U.S. to gain
FIFA 2-Star certification on our game field,
and that is something to be proud of.”
—Tim Lenahan,
NU Head Soccer Coach
“The new facility is going to be a fantastic enhancement to our program, and it will immediately make us more competitive within the Big Ten,” said NU Head Women’s Soccer Coach Stephanie Erickson after the announcement that FieldTurf had been selected for the field. “The FieldTurf surface is cutting edge for soccer. This new facility will be one of the most beautiful soccer facilities in the nation — overlooking Lake Michigan, the Chicago skyline in the distance, and on the campus of our incredible university.”
Tim Lenahan, NU Head Soccer Coach, reiterated Erickson’s excitement “This FIFA 2-Star designation is great for our program. We are the first collegiate program in the U.S. to gain FIFA 2-Star certification on our game field, and that is something to be proud of. The quality of soccer we played this season was very reflective of our FieldTurf surface as we had our best regular- season ever. FieldTurf has also provided us with an outstanding level of customer service.”
The FIFA Recommended 2-Star designation is the highest synthetic turf rating from FIFA and is issued after a battery of tests are performed by a FIFA-approved testing agent. FIFA final round competitions and top Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) competitions have the FIFA Recommended 2-Star in their respective competition regulations.
Almost four months later, the Kansas City Wizards announced a long-term, exclusive field-building partnership with FieldTurf Tarkett. FieldTurf Tarkett will supply the FieldTurf product for all synthetic fields constructed by the Kansas City Wizards and ownership group OnGoal, LLC.
“We are extremely pleased to be partnering with the world’s finest artificial surface manufacturer in FieldTurf Tarkett and the premier sports field construction company in FIELDS on long-term agreements,” said David Ficklin, Wizards Vice President of Development. “This partnership ensures we will be able execute our vision of constructing world-class fields for both our players and the community for years to come.”
David Beckham, the world’s most recognizable player, competed on the FieldTurf at Aloha Stadium in February as part of the PanPacific Championship.
Brian Ching’s Houston Dynamo and Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy represented Major League Soccer (MLS) in the PanPacific Championship. Teams from Japan (J.League champion Gamba Osaka) and Australia (a team from the Hyundai A-League) completed the tournament lineup.
“We believe it will be the most significant soccer event to come to Hawaii, and perhaps the greatest international event to come to Hawaii in at least the last 25 years,” said Nelson Rodriguez, an MLS senior vice president.
The FieldTurf system has been proven to provide the same amount of energy restitution as natural grass. International athletes have said that they have found FieldTurf to be much more pleasant to play on because it increases shock absorbency, provides a solid, glass-like “artificial earth” for proper biomechanics and safety, and delivers glass-like energy restitution so players do not tire or adjust their playing styles.
BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, has also gained FIFA 2-star recommended status and was the site of the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup of Soccer Final.
The David Beckham Football Academy in London installed the pitch in 2005. As stated on the Beckham Football Academy Web site, “When you walk out onto the two full-size pitches you’ll feel like a professional footballer.”
FIFA has supported artificial surfaces since the very beginning. The world’s football governing body has long praised artificial turf for “the enormous benefits it brings to the global development of soccer.” From June 30 to July 22, 2007, that development took center stage as the world’s elite young talents competed in the FIFA U-20 World Cup
Canada 2007. Almost half of the 52 games including the semifinals and 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup Final were featured on the FieldTurf installations at BMO Field in Toronto and at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. The Field- Turf pitches received extremely favorable comments from the world’s elite young footballers.
FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner said he is a firm believer in the quality of top-grade new generation artificial turf and the many benefits it brings to the game of football. “At the Champions League in Europe, this is exactly the type of turf on which they play. Accept that tradition has to change. (FieldTurf) is the future of football worldwide.”
