One thing English teams aren’t really used to is playing on astroturf, after all, when you live in such a wet climate there is no shortage of top quality natural grass pitches, but when you live in San Jose, California things are a bit different. West Bromwich Albion are currently on a US tour, and played this friendly against the San Jose Earthquakes on their astrotruf pitch on a beautiful sunny day. Now as all us statesiders, astro has a wicked bounce to it, especially once its heated by the sun all day. The poor West Brom goalie didn’t know this, and was taught a very valuable lesson in positioning by the San Jose keeper David Bingham, when he chipped him from the other end of the pitch.
Oh, and it was Bingham’s first appearance for the Earthquakes.
Posted by: Matthew Wall, editor, soccerprose.com