The Japan National Team left Monterrey for Nashville after a week of controversy caused by the terrible condition of the fields assigned in Mexico. Videos of the footballers training on damaged, mud-filled pitches quickly went viral on social media. This situation forced the officials to look for emergency facilities to protect the physical well-being of their players.
International stars such as forward Takefusa Kubo harshly criticized the organization, bluntly stating that the field was not at World Cup level. Faced with the imminent risk of suffering serious injuries, the local club Rayados de Monterrey had to lend its fields at El Barrial at the last minute. The complaints from the Japanese squad set off alarm bells about the true preparedness of the World Cup venues.
Although the trip to Tennessee had already been scheduled as their official base camp, the scandal brought forward the delegation’s departure and tarnished their stay in the country. The Asian team is already training on U.S. soil, far from the logistical shortcomings suffered in northern Mexico. This incident left a terrible international image for the local organizing committee just days before the debut.
Watch the incident here: