San Jose judge turns down bid to stop NFL from working on youth soccer field
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KGO) -- A San Jose judge Tuesday turned down a bid to stop the NFL from working on a youth soccer field.
That means work can continue until the parties return to court on Monday.
The field is right next to Levi's Stadium. The NFL is using it to create space for media and security for the Super Bowl.
Just as some professional ball parks and football stadiums are considered better than others, so it is with soccer fields. That's according to parents concerned about the safety of their kids and that's why there's a fight over this field.
Rows and rows of plastic covering are being laid on top of the Kentucky bluegrass soccer field next to Levi's Stadium. That will support facilities for the media, security personnel and production staff for Super Bowl 50. The covering concerns a youth soccer league board member because it's their field.
"All that water is probably pooling underneath those plastic boards, and the cause of that is going to be either generation of bacteria that is probably going to kill the grass, or the grass will drown because it's underneath these boards," said Gabe Foo, a youth soccer league board member.
VIDEO: Fight over youth soccer fields to be used for Super Bowl 50 postponed
The league's attorney has gone to court twice to stop the work. A hearing first set for Wednesday has been rescheduled for Monday.
Soccer dad and architect Roberto Mendoza says there's no field like this for safety. His 15-year-old daughter is a high-level college soccer prospect.
VIDEO: Hearing on restraining order filed by Santa Clara youth soccer league
"We've played all kinds of different fields, fields that are in such disrepair and cratered. There's a lot of injuries that come because of poorly maintained fields," Mendoza said.
That's why he and other parents are concerned about replacement fields. Santa Clara had been invited to host the first round of the state cup tournament, starting this weekend.
"You have kids that have worked so hard to get to a point to play in this competition, and now it's in jeopardy. I hope they don't have to forfeit their game," Foo said.
The Santa Clara city attorney says efforts to find replacement fields are still underway and so is the work on the NFL's Super Bowl facilities.
Fight over Santa Clara fields pits NFL against youth soccer league
