With 30 days to go, LA has everything in place for the World Cup — except the pitch

INGLEWOOD, California — With 30 days to go until its first World Cup match, Los Angeles has the transportation and food nailed down. The playing surface, though? Not just yet.

The United States opens its campaign at SoFi Stadium (to be known as Los Angeles Stadium) against Paraguay on June 12, the first of eight matches to be played at the NFL stadium in Inglewood.

On Tuesday, though, the field was still dirt.

That was set to change on Wednesday, when, after a 1,600-mile trip in refrigerated trucks from Washington state, sod was due to arrive, ready to be laid over the next two days.

"This surface is the players' stage," said Otto Benedict, senior vice-president of facilities and campus operation for SoFi Stadium.

Construction on the field began April 13 after the stadium hosted a Monster truck event.

The stadium modified the field shared by the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers in two phases. Auxiliary space and wider dimensions were created by removing corner seats to meet FIFA specifications, and a sophisticated irrigation system was installed to maintain the grass.

"To be the place where the energy first ignites, where the home crowd gets to set the tone for the rest of the tournament is a responsibility we don't take lightly," Benedict said.

Construction, landscape, grass and engineering crews were applauded by local World Cup organizers and community ambassador Magic Johnson, who pointed out his suite where he'll be watching.

"When you think about the financial impact it's going to have on Los Angeles, it's going to be amazing," said Johnson, who is a co-owner of LAFC in Major League Soccer and the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League.

Tours of the stadium during the tournament are being sold for $86.50 and premium seats, suites and hospitality packages are still available.

Fans availing themselves of those tickets will have access to a variety of food and drink options, from lime marinated shrimp and spiced lamb rack, to aged ribeye cap with bordelaise and mashed potatoes.

There is also a range of themed desserts, including a World Cup trophy made of chocolate mousse, raspberry, chocolate crunch and chocolate sponge.

Metro debuted special edition TAP cards featuring three FIFA-themed designs, 17 country-specific designs, four FIFA collector cards, including a light-up card, and a collector's box.

"We want to provide a system that is safe, fast and fun," LA Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said.

Metro is working with 11 other transit lines in the region to offer direct-to-stadium bus services for $3.75 from 15 park-and-ride lots in the LA and Orange counties. Reserved parking lots range in price from $55 to more than $100. Fans can access 300 dedicated buses to every match in an effort to avoid disrupting regular services.

The official FIFA Fan Festival will be held from June 11-14 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with big screens showing games. Ten fan zones around LA county will host activities and watch parties.