USMNT's Miles Robinson fuels turf-vs.-grass discussion in MLS

FIFA later confirmed that each venue would lay down grass for its World Cup games, and the concern subsided. But why such fervor over artificial turf?

The answer comes down to safety. Soccer players detest artificial turf because of its inherent injury risk. While it's not banned in Europe, it's incredibly rare. Moscow's reviled Luzhniki Stadium is one of the few major venues on the continent that has it. Many top players spend their entire careers playing on grass.

The U.S., however, is different. 

Six of Major League Soccer's 29 teams play on artificial turf: New England, Charlotte, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland and Vancouver. The turf in New England and Seattle is an unfortunate byproduct of their stadium-sharing agreements with the NFL. Charlotte, Atlanta, Portland and Vancouver chose turf themselves for their soccer-specific venues.

This week, U. S. Men's National Team player Miles Robinson made headlines when he announced his move from Atlanta United to Cincinnati FC. The transfer itself wasn't noteworthy, but the reasoning behind it was: Robinson wanted to play on grass, per Doug Roberson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

It may sound silly, but Robinson's concern is legitimate. When the 2015 Women's World Cup took place on largely artificial surfaces, the U. S. Women's National Team was angry enough to sue FIFA over the risk (and the inherent misogyny behind it, as all men's World Cups are played on grass). The safety concerns around turf are real, and its presence in MLS has always been a sticking point for the world's top players.

"As a professional athlete, you can't play a game like soccer on that sort of field," David Beckham said of artificial turf when he joined MLS in 2007. "What it does to your body as a soccer player, you're in bits for three days after that."

Didier Drogba famously sat out the start of Montréal's 2016 season because four venues featured substandard playing surfaces. Thierry Henry took a similar path when he signed with the New York Red Bulls in 2010.

"Maybe I need to remind you," he told reporters who questioned his decision. "Turf is one of the most severe things I've seen for us to play on."

It's not surprising to see young players like Robinson opting for grass-based teams for their own safety.

While poor New England and Seattle remain at the whim of their NFL roommates, the vast majority of MLS teams have control over their own playing surfaces. They need to follow FIFA's lead and consider implementing full-grass solutions — if not, more players like Robinson will rightfully avoid them.