With anticipation building ahead of the return leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 between Cavalier SC and Inter Miami, Major Desmon Brown, General Manager of Independence Park Limited, has assured that the playing surface at the National Stadium in Kingston will be in top condition for the highly anticipated showdown on March 13.
Inter Miami won the first leg in Florida on Thursday with a 2-0 victory, leaving Cavalier SC with a tough task at home. Despite the uphill battle, excitement remains high, particularly with hopes that football superstar Lionel Messi will take the field in Jamaica for the first time. Grand Stand tickets for the match have already sold out as fans eagerly await the historic encounter.
The state of the National Stadium’s playing field has been a point of concern following extensive damage caused by the recent Freedom Street Concert, which featured dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel. The concert marked the entertainer’s first public appearance since his murder conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal late last year, ending a 13-year stint behind bars. The event took a toll on the playing surface, but Brown is confident that the necessary restoration work will be completed in time.
“It’s just fertilizer, cutting, and watering. We have replaced the bad areas with new grass. It’s just a matter of fertilizing, cutting, and watering,” Brown explained.
He further assured that ongoing resurfacing work on the stadium’s track is not interfering with the field rehabilitation. “No, no, it doesn’t. Both works are going on at full pace ahead,” he stated.
Past international matches at the venue have drawn complaints from players regarding the condition of the playing surface, but Brown remains steadfast that the field will meet all CONCACAF requirements.
“Any field you put up, there are going to be a couple of players who say it’s not good. You never find everybody saying the field is perfect. But I know the standard we put out, and I know it meets international standards,” he asserted.
When asked whether the ongoing modernization of the National Stadium includes plans to install a lower-maintenance field, Brown dismissed the idea of artificial turf, pointing out that most professional matches worldwide are played on natural grass.
Major Desmon Brown
“The only other type of field would be a turf field, and most players don’t like playing on turf. About 95% of matches are played on grass fields,” he noted.
Although some stadiums in Europe utilize hybrid grass systems, Brown emphasized that Jamaica’s climate allows for continuous field regeneration without the need for costly reinstallation.
“Our field can regenerate, so there’s no need for a full replacement unless we get a serious issue with bad grass. Otherwise, we just need to redo certain areas using processes like verti-cutting and aerating,” he explained. “We also have a nursery now. If a section of the field gets badly damaged, we can cut out those areas and replace them with fresh grass from the nursery.”
Brown added that despite recent concerns, water supply is not an issue for field maintenance. “Watering is not a problem. We don’t have a water shortage. Our main concern is weed control, and as long as we manage that, the field will be fine.”
With preparations progressing smoothly, Brown is confident that the pitch will be in excellent shape come match day. “Yes, everything is looking very good so far,” he affirmed.
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