New stadium's field is big enough -- but just barely

I reconnoitered the new Cowboys Stadium today on the eve of the Gold Cup quarterfinals, which will be the first sporting event inside Jerry Jones’ opulent new home for the storied NFL team.

(Actually, I just went out there to pick up my credential for tomorrow’s matches. But "reconnoiter" is a cool word and I like to use it.)

While there, I walked into the bowl area to look at the field, which they just brought in earlier this week. And something immediately caught my attention. Remember, this is a place that Jones and other team and stadium official say was built with soccer in mind. They want this $1 billion behemoth in suburban Dallas to be one of the centerpieces of the U.S World Cup bid, which is now under constuction. And here’s what I thought:

"Oh, my! They made it too small!"

This puppy is tight in the corners. I mean, super tight, like the current California budget.

I wasn’t sure the pitch was even 70 yards wide, which represents the minimum FIFA requirement for international matches.

So I found Cowboys Stadium manager Jack Hill, a nice fellow who took the time to walk me out to the field and put my worries to rest.

The artificial turf field is, indeed, 70 yards wide. ( Obviously, for a World Cup, they would plant a grass field. They’ll get a test on Wednesday when they roll in the sod for a Chelsea-Club America match next weekend.) As it is, the pitch is FIFA certified. In fact, officials from CONCACAF and the Gold Cup were here this week as Hill’s crew marked the field. Since it’s a brand new stadium and a new turf rug, they had flexibility in how they marked it.

Hill told me that the field had originally been set at 120 yards long. But to create just a little bit more room in the corners, they shortened it to 115 yards.

Still, it remains perilously cramped.  Stadium officials just added padding Friday to the metal railing that sits about a step and a half off the corner flag as it wraps around the field. That potential hazard could be something of an issue in the future. In fact, it could be as early as next weekend, when the pricey stars of Chelsea visit for the World Football Challenge.

And, to be honest, it all could also be an issue if Cowboys Stadium really wants to push for matches deep in the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

Every stadium at the last World Cup in Germany was 68 meters (74 yards) wide. And with so many great stadiums from which to choose in this country of sweet grounds with their weapons grade capacities, this could be a prickly situation for Jones and the Cowboys.

Then again, Cowboys officials say they may be able to pack as many as 100,000 fans into the ground for special events. That could mean lots of money for the FIFA coffers – and that’s a language that world soccer understands. So, I’m thinking that maybe Sepp Blatter and the suits from Zurich would be willing to overlook a few yards of preferred width.

Maybe.

Even then, I could see FIFA making an exception, but permitting only first- or second-round matches.