Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos benefit as Suncorp Stadium pitch gets relaid

SECTIONS of the Suncorp Stadium pitch will be re-laid as part of continuing efforts to improve the much-maligned playing surface during the Asian Cup.

Trent Sainsbury after the loss. The Australian Socceroos vs the Korea Republic at Brisbane Stadium. Pic Peter Wallis

SUNCORP Stadium general manager Alan Graham admits the re-surfacing of sections of the venue’s field was left too late to have it in the best condition for the Asian Cup.

As part of continuing and frantic efforts to improve the stadium’s much-maligned playing surface, the six-yard boxes in front of each goal were re-laid yesterday.

It prevented Iran and the UAE from their permitted pre-match session at the venue ahead of their clash on Monday, as a desire to have the ground in as good a condition as possible for Thursday night’s quarter-final between Australia and China seemingly became the priority.

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The Socceroos were lamenting the state of the Suncorp pitch after the loss to South Korea.

Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou was unhappy with the bumpy nature of the pitch in his side’s 1-0 loss to South Korea on Saturday night, with the defeat costing Australia top spot in Group A.

The only consolation was that the Socceroos had already qualified for the quarter finals.

But come the start of the knockout stages on Thursday, there are no more second chances for any team, and Asian Cup organisers don’t want the state of the Suncorp Stadium pitch to decide a contest.

Graham said there had been long-term plans for the surface to be in top shape for the tournament, but that the failure of the summer cooch grass to grow sufficiently to replace the winter rye grass had thrown a spanner in the works.

“All the signals were fine, there were no red flags at all, but it was at right at the death where for whatever reason, the pitch did not come back in some of the areas,” Graham said.

“There were the areas that we had to replace, later than what we would have liked. If we had of known, we would have replaced the grass much earlier but there was always the expectation based on all the evidence that was going to be there was that it was going to come back.”

Asian Cup local organising committee Michael Brown was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Instead, an LOC spokesman said in a prepared statement: “The LOC was advised by Stadium officials and their turf consultants that after five games and six training sessions without a break the pitch required maintenance.

Australia coach, Ange Postecoglou wasn’t happy with the state of the Suncorp surface.

“Every effort is being made to present the pitch in the best possible condition for the remaining group game and quarter-final.”

Socceroos star Tim Cahill found it amusing that only the six-yard boxes were being re-laid.

“It’ll be great for the goalkeepers,” he said.

But Cahill would not use the pitch as an excuse, or Brisbane’s stifling humidity, for Australia’s weekend loss to South Korea.

“We really have to focus on the main things and not be side-tracked by … the pitch and the heat,” he said.

Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos benefit as Suncorp Stadium pitch gets relaid