Most of us spend a football match staring at the pitch without ever really thinking about it.

This episode of FAN48 goes behind the scenes of the World Cup with Justin Lang, the man responsible for preparing and maintaining the playing surface at SoFi Stadium, oooh, no , The Los Angeles Stadium.

From growing grass on a farm in Washington State to installing a World Cup pitch inside one of the most extraordinary stadiums on earth, Justin explains the science, planning and problem-solving involved in creating the stage for football’s biggest tournament.

We talk about artificial sunlight, tactical watering, thunderstorms, stadium design, why some teams like a fast pitch and others don’t, and how a World Cup pitch ended up with the name Phineas.

It’s a fascinating glimpse into a side of the tournament most fans never see.

Host: Rob Shaw Cameron
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Instagram: @fan48pod
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