Germany's national team trains on side pitch to preserve main field turf

The German national football team, currently in their World Cup camp, has opted to train on a secondary pitch to protect the turf of the main field at Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem. This decision aims to preserve the primary playing surface for upcoming matches.

During the initial 15 minutes of the training session, which was open to the media, captain Joshua Kimmich and his teammates engaged in passing exercises. All 27 players from the DFB squad were present and took part in the drills. Previously, this secondary pitch had been used by the goalkeepers, including Manuel Neuer, for their specialized training. The goalkeeping quartet has now moved to a different field on the university campus for their specific routines.

The Wake Forest University campus provides the DFB team with three training pitches in total. The university's groundskeepers, along with a DFB turf expert, are responsible for the maintenance of the main pitch. According to the German Football Association (DFB), there are no fundamental issues with the special Bermuda grass mixture used on the field.

The team's final training session before their second World Cup group stage match against Ivory Coast is scheduled to take place back on the main pitch on Friday. Following this session, the national team will travel to Toronto for their match on Saturday, which is scheduled for 10:00 PM CET. A victory in this game would secure Germany's advancement to the knockout phase of the tournament.