The NFL has kept Sunday’s Ravens-Cowboys game at Rio’s Maracanã despite Flamengo players’ complaints about the worsening pitch. NFLPA president JC Tretter said the field needed better traction and stability, and the union will keep assessing it through kickoff.
Flamengo goalkeeper Agustín Rossi said the pitch had bumps throughout and both penalty areas were in poor condition. Midfielder Giorgian De Arrascaeta said the surface had worsened over recent games and made controlling the ball harder.
Tretter said the pregame concern was that a loose, patchy surface would cause excessive slipping; he said those conditions generally posed more of a playability and performance issue than a significant injury concern. NFLPA experts recommended reinforced stitching and brought equipment to reinforce as much of the field as possible before the game.
