Turf

Page 62 SPORTS TURF INDUSTRY Mané Garrincha "All stadiums for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil were built using a sandy soil profile to improve drainage and reduce organic matter accumulation," said Roberto Gurgel, execu- tive director of research for Sod Solutions and member of the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) recently told Recreation Management. "Celebration Bermudagrass was the variety used on the majority of the playing surfaces, coming from the closest sod farm for each particular sta- dium." A Sao Paulo native, Gurgel helped developed the type of grass used in five of the 12 stadi- ums, mostly in venues with a lot of shade. This included the Maracanã, host of the World Cup Final on July 13. Prior to the tournament, the Maracanã had already hosted 45 games so it was given plenty of time to test for safety, playability and recuperation. Celebration is known for being very aggressive and recovers quickly from wear and tear. Bermuda Tifway 419 sod was used in six other stadiums and required less maintenance. Even though the World Cup took place during Brazil's winter, several ven- ues experienced hot temperatures and excessive amounts of rain, but they held up nicely and recovered in time for the next match. Natural grass is where the beauti- ful game was meant to be played. It could be easily taken for granted by the best soccer players in the world, who make several million dollars a year competing for their club and country, but gratitude is often seen at the highest level. For each World Cup match, 22 players and officials sprinted across the grass field as upwards of 70,000 spectators chanted with passion. Camera crews captured players blessing the finely mani- cured fields before entering the game or sliding on their knees after scoring a goal. Millions of people

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