As the FIFA World Cup approaches this summer, a key question, what does it take to create

the perfect pitch or field for soccer's biggest stage?

Our correspondent Paul Solomon put his body on the line to find out.

A soccer ball fired at an unarmed reporter to introduce a global mega event close to home starting

in June.

Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.

It's little messy.

Hosting the FIFA Men's World Cup.

The single biggest sporting event there is, you know, the last Men's World Cup final,

20% of the world's population tuned into

the final.

So there better be no screw-ups.

University of Tennessee turf grass guru John Surrachan has been tasked with ensuring the playing

surfaces at this summer's 16 North American venues are pitch-perfect.

What are the stakes here?

It's on the world's biggest stage.

You don't want the field to come into play where the ball's going to bounce wrong or hit

something that it compromises or jeopardizes the outcome of the game or, having forbid,

a player gets hurt, you know, from it.

A divot in the natural grass that might cost a team its star, its country, a national depression.

So the goal.

How do we make these surfaces consistent in uniform, knowing that Miami's at sea level

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