A number of football royalties will descend upon Singapore next Tuesday (Oct. 14, 2014) as the National Stadium will host the international friendly between Japan and Brazil.

Neymar, Oscar, Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda are all slated to play in this meaningless friendly far away from where they ply their trade. Currently, all three earn their living in Europe.

That said, it is ironic that Singapore,  being thousands of kilometres away, will have a say in the fates of the European leagues.

The state of the pitch

You see, the National Stadium pitch is just not up to scratch.

It is also not the first time that the stadium's hybrid pitch of natural grass weaved with synthetic fibres is under the spotlight.

Singapore took on Italian side Juventus on Aug. 16, 2014 and many were appalled by the state of the pitch.

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Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said after the match that he didn't field striker Carlos Tevez because of the sandy pitch.

It's not sure whether the pitch will be as sandy but it was reported in The Straits Times that the pitch is still short of expected international standards.

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) told The Straits Times:

"However, we are also of the opinion that the condition of the field is far short of expected international playing standards, which could affect the standard of play."

However they added that the pitch is still "playable" and that the game can proceed if the match commissioner and teams agree. Most likely the game will go on. With over 45,000 tickets already sold, the disappoint of a match cancelation will be too tough to bear for some football fans. 

Will a pitch in Singapore affect the European Leagues?

Neymar plays for Spanish team Barcelona, while compatriot Oscar turns up for English team Chelsea; Japanese duo Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda play for German team Borussia Dortmund and Italian team AC Milan respectively.

It's true that players of their calibre are used to playing on well-maintained artificial pitches and it's also a fact that Singapore's hybrid pitch uses the Desso GrassMaster system, the same system found in football temples such as Anfield and Emirates Stadium.

Maybe it needs time to mature, like what Malcolm Thorpe, World Sport Group vice-president of sports development and events said.

But vital games back in Europe are at stake: all four players are vital cogs for their clubs, which in turn are chasing for top honours in various competitions.

Should anyone of them fall victim to the pitch next Tuesday, it will probably not only bruise the players and their clubs' position, Singapore's image might be hurt too.

Top photo from here.

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