The Argentina national team didn’t hold back its criticism of the pitch conditions at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium following their 2-0 victory over Canada in last week’s inaugural match of the 2024 Copa América.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and manager Lionel Scaloni were particularly vocal about the state of the newly installed grass surface, which had been laid just two days before the match.

“The state of the pitch was a disaster,” said Martínez to ESPN, the Aston Villa goalkeeper. “Very bumpy. We must improve in this aspect; otherwise, Copa América will always appear at a lower level than the European Championship.”

Argentina’s victory, secured by goals from Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez, saw them take the top spot in the Group A standings. Scaloni took the opportunity to highlight the organizers’ poor planning and execution. “The game was like that of Saudi Arabia in the World Cup, except that one had a good pitch,“ Scaloni said.

Scaloni criticized the conditions, “We gave not necessarily a good game, but a game according to the pitch and what the rival proposed. We couldn’t do much more with the conditions of the pitch. Look at the speed of the passes that we did.”

The stadium, home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United FC, usually features an artificial surface. However, at CONMEBOL’s request, natural grass was installed for the tournament, a process that seems to have been poorly executed.

“Two days ago, it was fake, and then they patched panels of grass together. It’s painted to appear nicer than it is,“ Scaloni explained. “The weird thing is we knew months ago we’d play here, so maybe things could’ve been done about the pitch quicker.“

Despite the conditions, the opening match attracted a crowd of 70,564 spectators. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set to host the United States vs. Panama match on June 27 and will be a venue for eight games during the 2026 World Cup, including a semifinal.

On Tuesday, Argentina’s next challenge in Group A will be against Chile at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On the same day, Canada will face Peru at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.

The Buffalo Bills released the first renderings of its new stadium Thursday, a $1.4 billion project approved back in March. Groundbreaking should begin in 2023 and the stadium should open in 2026.

Images released on the Bills’ Twitter account feature a projected internal and external view of the open-air stadium in Orchard Park, across the street from Highmark Stadium, Buffalo’s current venue. Originally called Rich Stadium, it has hosted the Bills since 1973.

Many of the design choices were made to battle precipitation and wind, common issues in upstate New York. A canopy surrounding the stadium will cover most of the seats, while the exterior will be arranged in a way to prevent swirling winds reaching field-level.

Architectural firm Populous and consulting group Legends are working with the team to design the stadium. According to ESPN, the Bills’ goal to achieve “a visual identity that reflects some of the historical architecture of Buffalo, while also delivering a modern appearance.”

Though negotiations on the project have not yet been finalized, the deadline was recently pushed back a second time to allow the state time to finish its environmental impact study. This also gives both sides more time to finish what has been a slow process to finalize costs.

The $1.4 billion price tag is unlikely to change significantly, but the cost to the state for the stadium will be significantly mitigated by public funding. According to the deal Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) proposed in April, taxpayers will pay $850 million for the new venue, leaving the state to pay $600 million and Erie County to pay $250 million.

Ron Raccuia, executive vice president of Pegula Sports and Entertainment, said on WGR 550 in Buffalo Thursday that progress on the stadium has been steady.

“We’re taking our time. We’re working well with the state and the county,” Raccuia said. “We’ve got another deadline. We’ll continue to work every day to get it to the finish line. That’s really where we’re at.”

A Missouri ownership group announced formal plans on Thursday to bring a Major League Soccer expansion team to St. Louis and construct a new, $200 million stadium downtown.

St. Louis Group Unveils Plans For MLS Expansion Team And New $200M Stadium

The group, SC STL, includes former Anheuser-Busch President Dave Peacock and other members of a group known as MLS2STL that began efforts in January to bring professional soccer to St. Louis. The group, led by chairman Paul Edgerley, also plans to acquire St. Louis FC, which plays in USL.

St. Louis became one of the top contenders to join MLS in January when the NFL’s Rams moved back to Los Angeles.

Commissioner Don Garber, who has outlined a plan to expand the league to 28 teams, visited the city last year and stated in April that the league believes St. Louis is “MLS-ready” and could play as early as 2020.

In Thursday’s announcement, Garber said: “With its rich soccer heritage, St. Louis has always been a market of great interest to Major League Soccer and SC STL is the ideal ownership group that will provide St. Louis the best opportunity for a future expansion team.”

As for the stadium, private investors would reportedly cover at least 60 percent of the costs, and the facility would be owned by the city of St. Louis, said Jim Kavanaugh, vice chairman of the ownership group and founder of the minor league soccer club St. Louis FC.

The public would then be asked to pay for the remainder ($80 million) for the 20,000-seat stadium, not including a potential land purchase west of Union Station. The group said it will cover the league’s expansion fee, which is expected to be somewhere between $125-$135 million.

The stadium would sit on 30 acres of land owned by the Missouri Department of Transportation, north of Highway 40 (Interstate 64) near 22nd Street and just west of Union Station. In September, the city of St. Louis entered a deal with the state for a two-year option to potentially buy the site, although an appraisal is still in the works.

Mayor Francis Slay said in a statement that “this is a moment St. Louis has to seize.”

“I cannot imagine a better stadium setting anywhere in MLS than the one we envision west of Union Station, and I am very appreciative that Commissioner Garber and his staff are willing to work with me and our ownership group to make it happen,” Slay said.

 ST. LOUIS – OCTOBER 10: An interior view of Busch Stadium and the St. Louis Gateway Arch during Game Three of the NLDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 10, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)