Sports Turf: No problem

Sparta will be paying to Heracles Almelo on Sunday. This Rotterdam team trails behind the number twelve team in the First Division by only one point, so this match will give a good opportunity to rise in the rankings. “We’re all too aware of the importance of this match,” says Arne Slot to ELF Voetbal. “There are a couple of teams you know will end up around the same position. Heracles is one of them.”

This midfielder says that Sparta will be pulling out all the stops on Sunday. “As we always do. We never play offensively for the entire ninety minutes. And this shows in our results, which are sometimes less than desirable. But, on the other hand, it also results in victories.”

A victory on Sunday is also crucial for Heracles, believes Slot. “Like Sparta, they primarily need to gain points during home matches. When your competitors are on your turf, you really need to seize the opportunity. If not, you’ll have to find other chances to gain those points.”

The Sparta team trained a number of times this week on GreenFields artificial turf in order to get used to the playing field. “But this isn’t something you should place too much importance on either,” continues Slot. “In the end, artificial turf is only one small factor in the final results. And, to be honest, I don’t find it any problem at all to play football on a good turf, certainly at this time of the year. If I want to pass the ball easily on artificial turf, at least I know that my own technique is what matters in whether or not the pass is successful, not the turf. With natural grass, you have all kinds of little bumps, making you much too dependent on a variety of other factors. I know that a lot of people are against artificial turf, but, personally, I prefer it.”

Slot is currently experiencing a good season. This midfielder plays continuously and was good for several scores in recent weeks. “The goals make my playing style much more apparent,” claims Slot. “Even though I was playing well at the start of the season, too. Now it’s simply a matter of continuing on the same line.”

Source: Elfvoetbal.nl