Dallas Cup Fields (UTD)

These fields absolutely suck! I cannot believe how poor condition the fields are - the ball would not even roll smoothly it would bounce around and the peaks and valleys are inexcusable for a tournament of this cost and prestige. If they don't want to pay FCD for their fields fine, but they have to play at facilities that have decent fields with decent parking and access.

Richland is fine and the Cotton Bowl though far is fine too.

Cotton Bowl isn't far! Might be the closest soccer field for some of us?

It's all perception! Welcome to our world of driving an hour to get to FCD every weekend!

Yeah, both Richland and the Cotton Bowl are about 15 minutes from our home.

The fields at Richland are in good condition and VERY green, except #5. It has huge bare patches. I saw a few kids slip and fall on the hard ground today, but not too bad, overall. It didn't seem to impact the quality of play.

I credit the Boys Classic League for being so fastidious about protecting their bermuda turf, literally. With Field Marshalls preventing un-approved free-play and warm-ups in the 18 box. All this seems over the top, but it goes a long way at setting expectations with everyone. That the fields have value and must be protected. They also seem to water, fertilize and tend the turf regularly.

FCD does the same, hence, the best playing surfaces in the metroplex. I believe its the same turf that's inside the Cotton Bowl and the FCD Stadium. Its the turf used in the Cotton Bowl during the 1994 World Cup. Before the World Cup, the Cotton Bowl had an old faded carpet.

UTD on the other hand, is used by the girls LHCL and who knows what other activities/leagues. It's a lot more laissaiz-faire without firm ownership on the quality of the fields. I haven't seen the newer fields, so I can't comment on them. The older fields have been "terrible" for a very long time. In the past it seemed they didn't water or fertilize very often. I can't even remember the grass type.

The Dallas Cup, after the FCD deal fell through, didn't have a lot of time to choose and plan for a large secondary complex for this tournament. They'll have an entire year to plan next year's tourney; So they can choose another park to complement Richland or help UTD create a project plan to improve their fields before next year.

It's all relative, anyway. I remember when the Dallas Cup was played at Moss Park in the early 80s on Greenville Ave. Those fields became swampy quagmires during the March rains. Players and fans would be slathered in mud.

We had a 6:00 start time at UTD. By the time the game was completed, we were in total darkness. Oh, yes, the fields did have lights, but they were not turned on until everyone was leaving the field. There was no game after us, so it was quite a kick in the crotch to see the field illuminated AFTER we had played in the dark for nearly half an hour.

Congratulations Dallas Cup! It only took you two days to turn this storied event into a joke.

As a Dallas resident, this was truly embarrassing.

OldTrafford wrote:We had a 6:00 start time at UTD. By the time the game was completed, we were in total darkness. Oh, yes, the fields did have lights, but they were not turned on until everyone was leaving the field. There was no game after us, so it was quite a kick in the crotch to see the field illuminated AFTER we had played in the dark for nearly half an hour.

Congratulations Dallas Cup! It only took you two days to turn this storied event into a joke.

As a Dallas resident, this was truly embarrassing.

Good gosh, over-dramatic much?

TxHunter wrote:These fields absolutely suck! I cannot believe how poor condition the fields are - the ball would not even roll smoothly it would bounce around and the peaks and valleys are inexcusable for a tournament of this cost and prestige. If they don't want to pay FCD for their fields fine, but they have to play at facilities that have decent fields with decent parking and access.

Richland is fine and the Cotton Bowl though far is fine too.

OMG! My bb played at UTD and I have to agree that these fields suck big time.

yes terrible quality especially for this big of a tournament

The Boss wrote:yes terrible quality especially for this big of a tournament

I imagine when the teams complaints roll in after the tournament , they will be back at fcd where they belong next year....

The Girls' Forum had this same discussion. I know Field 3 is just dirt scattered with 3-4" rye grass clumps dotting the whole field.

http://www.txsoccer.net/t14665-utd-north-fields-are-in-awful-shape

Our European guests said these are the worst fields they have ever played on in a tournament - they were quite dissappointed in the field quality after hearing how good our fields were. At least from a dimensions standpoint the Northern Fields at UTD are regular size. The fields close to Campbell are narrow and short. I would guess they are 20 yards short and 10 to 15 yards narrower. Most of the keepers punts into the hollowing wind on Sunday went well over the line (15 to 20 yards) and with the wind from 18 to 18 on the Southern Fields without much effort. The Northern Fields same keeper punting into a much lesser wind was just making it to the center line on his best punts.

Very dissappointing

TxHunter wrote:Our European guests said these are the worst fields they have ever played on in a tournament - they were quite dissappointed in the field quality after hearing how good our fields were. At least from a dimensions standpoint the Northern Fields at UTD are regular size. The fields close to Campbell are narrow and short. I would guess they are 20 yards short and 10 to 15 yards narrower. Most of the keepers punts into the hollowing wind on Sunday went well over the line (15 to 20 yards) and with the wind from 18 to 18 on the Southern Fields without much effort. The Northern Fields same keeper punting into a much lesser wind was just making it to the center line on his best punts.

Very dissappointing

But hey look at the good side, you get to play in the crime ridden, ridiculously large cotton bowl and play at the high class facilities at richland and have a warmed over hot dog. Yep thats world class soccer dallas cup

Please direct any concerns or protests to the organizing committee so that they can make adjustments for the next tournament

Funny, I was at Harold Patterson in Arlington this past weekend and those fields are green and plush as can be.... That park has around 24 full size fields, with plenty of entertainment within a close proximity of it..... Why not consider that park for next year?....

I know TX Lightning has its showcase this weekend, but I'm sure that could be worked around.....

because its in arlington

Riquelme wrote:

TxHunter wrote:These fields absolutely suck! I cannot believe how poor condition the fields are - the ball would not even roll smoothly it would bounce around and the peaks and valleys are inexcusable for a tournament of this cost and prestige. If they don't want to pay FCD for their fields fine, but they have to play at facilities that have decent fields with decent parking and access.

Richland is fine and the Cotton Bowl though far is fine too.

OMG! My bb played at UTD and I have to agree that these fields suck big time.

I don't know...it's not all that bad when your kids have the downward slope.

Yeah, but UTD is in Richardson and FCD was in Frisco. I would rather drive to Arlington at Patterson Park than play at the crappy fields at UTD. We have played there in Premier League Games - very nice complex, lots of restaurants and other activities to do aroudn the area.

TxHunter wrote:Yeah, but UTD is in Richardson and FCD was in Frisco. I would rather drive to Arlington at Patterson Park than play at the crappy fields at UTD. We have played there in Premier League Games - very nice complex, lots of restaurants and other activities to do aroudn the area.

lmao, these teams are flying in from overseas and out of state to play. not 8 year olds in a fireant memorial tournament. this is a fiasco. would you fly in from germany for a tournament that put you on utd fields? get it back to frisco, where it belongs....

Well if there is a bigger park with better surroundings where is it?

Hotels, Restaurants, The Parks Mall, Outlet shopping, BallPark, Cowboy Stadium, Six Flags, Joe Pool Lake,etc...

trmntr1 wrote: Well if there is a bigger park with better surroundings where is it?

Hotels, Restaurants, The Parks Mall, Outlet shopping, BallPark, Cowboy Stadium, Six Flags, Joe Pool Lake,etc...

they arent here to go shopping and go to hurricane harbor, its about the facilities. FCD is one of the best youth soccer facilities in the country. Its an all in one facility where you don't have to drive all over to catch games and even FCD stadium is barely half full for the best games, i can only imagine how empty the 90k cotton bowl must be on a weekday....

richardson is Dallas. I am hearing really good buzz about the historic cotton bowl at least from the foriegners. Sounds like a bunch of whiny suburbanites that had to venture out of their sterilized suburban sanctuaries. And yes teams didn't travel all this way for pristine grass they can find that at home. They travel here for the competition. That being said UTD needs to take a lesson from richland and learn how to manage the fields. They had girls classic league games going on up to right before the DC. But a bump field is hard a fiasco. All of those NTX teams getting run over last year. That was a fiasco

I hope it stays in Dallas and never goes back up to Frisco and certianly not the nightmare of arlington.

Rumor: This is a multi-year deal. Don't know if that's true or not, but that's what my bb's coach told me.

Not certain if the rest of the world is upset about the fields or not...After all, in northern Europe they play on pebbles. Dirt, pebbles, grass, doesn't matter, they all just play!?!

go99 wrote:richardson is Dallas. I am hearing really good buzz about the historic cotton bowl at least from the foriegners. Sounds like a bunch of whiny suburbanites that had to venture out of their sterilized suburban sanctuaries. And yes teams didn't travel all this way for pristine grass they can find that at home. They travel here for the competition. That being said UTD needs to take a lesson from richland and learn how to manage the fields. They had girls classic league games going on up to right before the DC. But a bump field is hard a fiasco. All of those NTX teams getting run over last year. That was a fiasco

i know you are running for city council or something since you constantly shill for dallas, but they DO expect pristine fields not crappy UTD fields or ho hum richland fields. I imagine they are just being polite and not telling you. I am sure they will be telling the organizers....

go99 wrote:I hope it stays in Dallas and never goes back up to Frisco and certianly not the nightmare of arlington.

sounds like you have some problems with frisco, wonder what your real reason is...
whiny suburbanites sounds like code for "white people" to me....

go99 wrote:I hope it stays in Dallas and never goes back up to Frisco and certianly not the nightmare of arlington.

I'm with ya, there. I'd never find my way to the games if they moved it to Arlington
Having said that, bb played at FCD last year, and UTD this year. He really prefers to be in Frisco, but then again, he's a suburbanite.