Stacie Zinn, president, Environmental Turf: Please tell me, the shots in the stadium, was that the field that was grassed with Aloha Seashore Paspalum? If so, when was the grass installed? Fraino, field supervisor: Yes. This installation is the "Estadio Metropolitano de futbol de Lara" It was sowed in a nursery with Aloha Paspalum. Then between May 21 and 25 we did the transplant from the nursery to the main field. This installation was like this because the company was doing the interior of the field with machinery and steel etc and it was that date when they let us work inside on the field.

Nick Fraino on his seashore paspalum soccer field in Venezuela

Zinn: What is the full name of the stadium and its location? 

Fraino: The name of the stadium is Estadio Metropolitano de Futbol de Lara, in Barquisimeto city, about 250 kilometers from Caracas by car. It hosted the Venezuela-organized Copa America 2007, the most important soccer tournament in America. Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela are all of them members of the Conmebol (Sudamerican Soccer Association). Mexico and USA also were invited.

Zinn: You said the field won best field in the Cup and in Venezuela. Which organizations gave the award for the Cup and for in Venezuela?

Fraino: It was the same CONMEBOL with the Venezuelan Soccer Association, and the local media and the International Press.

Zinn: For the Aloha field, did you have to do any special maintenance to get ready for the tournament?

Fraino: The maintenance is watering and daily cutting, and weekly as a preventive method we do fertilization programs, bugs control, disease and weed control.   

Zinn: How do you feel the field performed during the tournament?

Fraino: During the game and the recognizing, the development of the grass was excellent, it didn’t suffer any damages, any detachment in the turf after a hard play, and even more, before the third game it rained hard 3 hours straight and the field was in perfect condition

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