Rams' Mexico City Game Scrapped Due to Poor Field Conditions

LOS ANGELES, CA —The much anticipated LA Rams game in Mexico city is off, the NFL announced today.

The match against the Kansas City Chiefs scheduled for next Monday night in Mexico City will instead be played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Poor field conditions at the venue in Mexico are to blame, officials said.

An inspection of the field at Estadio Azteca that determined the playing surface "does not meet NFL standards for playability and consistency."

In announcing the cancellation, authorities did not say why the conditions weren't addressed sooner. Ticketing information for the game is expected to be released as soon as possible by the Rams.

"Until very recently, we had no major concerns," NFL Executive Vice President of International Mark Waller said in a statement. "But, the combination of a difficult rainy season and a heavy multi-event calendar of events at the stadium have resulted in significant damage to the field that presents unnecessary risks to player safety and makes it unsuitable to host an NFL game.

"As a result, we have determined that moving the game is the right decision, and one that we needed to announce now in order to allow our teams and fans to make alternate arrangements."

The Rams, however, were prepared for the situation. The league obligated the team to keep the Coliseum available on game day.

Season-ticket holders will have first dibs on tickets. Starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, a three- hour pre-sale will begin for season-ticket holders, allowing them to purchase up to four additional tickets for the game.

Tickets will go on sale at 1 p.m. Wednesday for the general public via www.therams.com. No paper tickets will be issued for the games. All tickets will be electronic only, and can also be purchased through the Rams and Ticketmaster mobile apps.

According to the team, the Rams will also be "providing thousands of complimentary tickets to first responders who are bravely protecting the greater Los Angeles community, as well as people who have been impacted by the our community's recent tragedies."

The matchup between the Rams and Chiefs, both of whom have a 9-1 record and lead their respective divisions, is considered one of the marquee games of the upcoming week's NFL schedule.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.

Photo: LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 11: Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks runs during a 36-31 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)