NEW ORLEANS >> It looks better. The players say it IS better.

But it isn’t perfect for soccer. It never will be, because it isn’t real grass.

The playing surface at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is the same product from the same company as that at Aloha Stadium; UBU Speed Series S5-M covers the floors of both facilities.

And, while the players of the United States Women’s National Team would still rather compete on natural grass — as their male counterparts do — some said before Tuesday’s practice at the Superdome that the field here is better than the one at Aloha Stadium. That’s where the USWNT practiced Dec. 5, complained about the surface, and then canceled its Dec. 6 scheduled match. The exhibition game against Trinidad and Tobago was supposed to be part of the reigning World Cup champions’ 10-match victory tour.

The cancellation spurred a class-action lawsuit filed by Honolulu attorney Brandee Faria on behalf of fans who came to Oahu for the game with no compensation for travel expenses. The Hawaii state attorney generals office and the United States Soccer Federation have also prepared for possible litigation.

Tonight, the tour concludes when the USWNT plays China, which it beat 2-0 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sunday. Last Thursday, the Americans trounced Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Those two stadiums also have artificial turf, but midfielder Morgan Brian said those venues and the Superdome are better suited for soccer than the Aloha Stadium field she practiced on 11 days ago.

As other players did previously, Brian cited seams in the Aloha Stadium carpet, as well as some of the infill being hard and sharp.

“It’s just dangerous. If you’re focused on the ball and not paying attention you could trip (on a seam) and get injured,” Brian said Tuesday. “If you slide on it, it hurts. You get a lot of nicks, or way worse.”

Midfielder Heather O’Reilly said the Aloha Stadium field “was not fit to play on,” but added that no turf field would be ideal.

“We would much rather play on grass at the end of the day,” she said.

Last Friday, I was allowed with others to inspect Aloha Stadium’s surface — a field I’d been on dozens of times (going back to the 1970s when it was covered by AstroTurf) but only rarely looked at closely.

While whatever problems with the seams appeared to have been repaired, infill was still clearly visible throughout the field. There were two types, black rubber and a white hard substance. Each white piece is a little firmer than a grain of uncooked rice and about the size of half of one, and with sharper edges.

The infill is “pretty much the same” as it is at Aloha Stadium, said Superdome general manager Alan Freeman, except for the white pieces.

On the Superdome field Tuesday, pellets of infill were much less visible than at Aloha Stadium. I had to dig to get to them, and only found the black rubber type.

The Superdome and Aloha Stadium are almost identical in age, opening a month apart in 1975. Both started as multipurpose facilities where baseball also was played, but both are now permanently locked in position for football. But the Superdome’s floor is bigger, allowing for a soccer field close to ideal width.

The Aloha Stadium surface is well within warranty, but was installed in 2011 and is exposed to the elements.

The Superdome surface is changed every year, “We have very little wear,” Freeman said. “And it helps that there’s a dome.”

Surprisingly, this will be the first soccer game ever hosted by the iconic facility that is home to the New Orleans Saints and has held Super Bowls, Final Fours and other major events.

“This area really hasn’t been a soccer hotbed,” Freeman said.

But a U.S. Soccer official said more than 29,000 tickets for tonight’s match had been sold as of Tuesday.

Tuesday’s practice, which like the Dec. 5 one at Aloha Stadium was witnessed by more than a thousand adoring fans, went without incident.

It was significant, though, because it was the last training session for star forward Abby Wambach. One of the greatest players in women’s soccer history, she retires after tonight’s match. Coach Jill Ellis said Wambach, who has come off the bench this year, will start against China.

Wambach said she would like to return to Hawaii and find a way to make up for the canceled game. “We’ve already been told we can come back,” she said, then jokingly. “How about Thursday?”