Space-age venue greets England

An aerial view of the Sapporo Dome

By Phil McNulty Our man with England

See the Sapporo Dome for yourself

England entered the eerily unreal atmosphere of the world's most advanced sports arena as they finalised plans for the crucial World Cup confrontation with Argentina.

The £250m Sapporo Dome was shrouded in silence as England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson put his players through their paces in their last training session before the game that could decide their fate in Japan.

England's open training session was conducted amid the idle chatter of the media that echoed around a 42,122-seat silver stadium that takes football beyond the green turf and into the space age.

Sapporo Dome

Capacity: 42,122

Completed: May 2001

Cost: £250m

features world's first hovering football pitch

Full venue guide

Eriksson said, "It is strange because it is indoors, but it is beautiful and I think this is the future of football.

"You can't complain because there is no wind and no sun disturbing the players. The temperature is just right for playing football. You have no excuses in an arena like this."

The Dome was completed in May last year and contains the world's first hovering football pitch.

The giant roof is constructed of fibreglass with Teflon coating - allowing in 16% of natural sunlight. It is a striking silver in colour, and is now established as one of Sapporo's most famous landmarks.

The Sapporo Dome is totally enclosed

The roof also has an observation tower with spectacular views over the city.

The Japanese have achieved the dual goal of erecting a stadium to withstand harsh winter conditions and ensuring the grass continues to grow for the big football occasions.

Grass is kept outside in natural light until match day, when a stadium wall opens up, seats normally arranged for basketball slide back, and the pitch hovers into the stadium on jets of compressed air.

The Dome looks small for a game of the magnitude of England against Argentina, and the true test of whether it provides the right atmosphere for such a showpiece will only be revealed on Friday.

Perfect for spectators

The movement of the pitch into the arena takes about two hours, and is supported by 34 wheels as well as the pressure of the compressed air.

Views inside the stadium are perfect from every angle, with its array of black seats adding to the dramatic effect.

And climatic conditions are perfect for spectators as well as players, with the stadium being fitted with a giant air conditioner.

Heaters are employed in the freezing conditions that hit this part of northern Japan in the winter.

England will play to a packed house when they meet Argentina in Sapporo - hoping they can use the stadium of the future to shape a long-term stay at the World Cup.