It looked like a less than ideal surface at Etihad Stadium in the traditional Australia Day clash between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC.
With Etihad being one of the most used stadiums in the country, it was evident it had taken a toll on the grass for the game.
The distorted surface could be identified on the right-hand side of the pitch from the eastern end.
Many fans made their grievances known, saying it looked like a sandpit or an aeroplane runway.
Ironically, Etihad stadium was proclaimed the best in the A-League in terms of atmosphere and pitch quality by a survey conducted by Professional Footballers Australia (PFA).
The famous dome in Docklands was used regularly by cricket teams in the Big Bash League and hosted a game as recently as last week.
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Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat did not hold back with his criticisms of the turf.
“I’ve got to say I thought the pitch play was very ordinary, it didn’t help us,” Muscat said.
“Kosta (Barbarouses) got in a number of times, I’ve never seen him miskick a ball by the amount he did tonight. He skied a ball when he was trying to roll a ball over to Besh (Besart Berisha).
“That was disappointing considering the surface in the last month was voted the best surface in the league.
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“We had to come here and play on an uneven surface, it was disappointing and I think Kosta would have been a lot better had the surface better.”
Melbourne Victory defeated Sydney FC 1-0 courtesy of an own goal by Matt Jurman. The goal was created on the side where the pitch was noticeably damaged in the second half.
The blue and white side of Melbourne looked more dangerous after the first half, creating a cluster of chances and many balls being played across the sandy soil.
Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold, by contrast, said he did not have any complaints nor did he hear any players complain about the pitch.
“The boys didn’t complain too much about it,” Arnold said.
“So no problem, I don’t think.”
The next game at Etihad Stadium will be on 6 February between Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers.
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