Wembley Stadium field waterlogged and damaged before England-Croatia game

The field at Wembley Stadium was waterlogged in patches at each end before the European championship qualifier between England and Croatia.

The penalty and corner areas were covered by surface water, while both teams warmed up before the 3 p.m. ET kickoff. Field staff also worked to remove divots.

The rain had starting falling about an hour before the game was to start.

The field did not appear to have fully recovered from the NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants on Oct. 28, which badly cut up the grass.

Croatia had difficulty training on the field Tuesday, and only used half the grass, with the remainder under heat lamps.

England needs at least a draw to reach Euro 2008, while Croatia has already qualified.

The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was opened in March. It took more than six years to replace the old stadium at a cost of US$1.65 billion, which easily makes it the most expensive stadium ever built.

Even so, Wembley Stadium does not have a retractable roof that completely covers the field, unlike the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

The new Wembley Stadium should have opened in mid-2005, but got bogged down in delays and cost overruns.