Fans made several complaints about the playing surface during Liverpool’s preseason game against Wrexham at Yankee Stadium, while the narrow field was also called out
The Yankee Stadium pitch was underwhelming for Liverpool-Wrexham(Image: 2026 Liverpool FC)
Yankee Stadium hosted Wednesday’s preseason game between Liverpool and Wrexham, but fans quickly noticed that the baseball stadium didn’t provide the perfect conditions for soccer.
Liverpool played its second preseason game of the U.S. tour in New York City, after beating Sunderland 4-2 in Nashville. However, several star players were left at the team’s base in Chicago, including Alexander Isak, Ryan Gravenberch, and Florian Wirtz.
Federico Chiesa also missed the game due to illness, leaving Dominik Szoboszlai to claim the armband as the most senior player. There were complaints over fields across the U.S. during the FIFA World Cup, and the same trend continued.
The ball was seen constantly bobbling throughout the opening stages, with the soccer field placed over a baseball surface. In Liverpool’s territory during the first half, the mound was covered, and a clear incline affected the ball’s movement.
Temporary grass was also installed to cover the dirt, and the ball was observed to change speed upon entering the disrupted surface. Another clear difference was the field’s size, particularly its width.
Due to the unique shape of a baseball field, there was only a certain amount of room to make a rectangular soccer pitch. As a result, it was extremely narrow, leaving little room to work with in the channel between the touchline and the penalty area.
The narrow field was uneven due to the baseball layout(Image: 2026 Liverpool FC)
The conditions were evident during the livestream of the Liverpool-Wrexham game, with fans staying up past midnight to watch it back in the UK. Although fans were aware that the game was being hosted at one of the most famous baseball stadiums, that didn’t stop the complaints.
“Why is the pitch size reduced for the Liverpool – Wrexham game? It fees uncomfortable to watch,” one fan wrote on X. “Is it me or does that pitch look very narrow?” Another added.
“How small is this pitch? Feels like one pass and the teams running at the goalkeeper,” a third wrote. “I forget how silly the Yankee Stadium pitch is when they convert it for football,” one fan said.
Andoni Iraola named a youthful starting lineup to face Wrexham(Image: 2026 Liverpool FC)
Another fan commented, “Nah this Liverpool match at Yankee Stadium is terrible. Field looks like a 5×5 field that I used to play on.”
The surface is expected to be the worst that Liverpool plays on this summer, after beating Sunderland at GEODIS Park in Nashville. The stadium in Tennessee is home to Nashville SC of Major League Soccer and is considered one of the league’s best.
Liverpool’s next game is against Leeds United in Chicago, and it is another fine soccer arena. Soldier Field is home to the Chicago Bears of the NFL and the Chicago Fire of MLS.
While Yankee Stadium isn’t the best home for soccer, New York City FC of the MLS has dealt with it for some time. However, a new purpose-built stadium is under construction.
