The situation involving the Women’s World Cup and artificial turf is spiraling out of control.
FIFA commissioned an independent body to review field surfaces at the World Cup, but everyone knows that those usually turn out to be less than independent. We bet the review will find that the playing surfaces are fine.
Also, a group of elite players (including Abby Wambach and Germany's Nadine Angerer) are reportedly going to sue FIFA to try and get the playing surfaces switched to grass. All playing surfaces at the World Cup must be the same surface, and five of the six stadiums Canada plans to use for the World Cup already have FIFA-approved artificial turf.
The cost of replacing the turf with natural grass is estimated to be from $3 million to $6 million.
Here’s what we know:
1. The men’s world cup was played on all-natural grass and the reported lawsuit is about gender discrimination.
2. Sepp Blatter doesn’t have many friends in the women’s soccer community, what with having remarked that women players should wear tighter shorts, not recognizing the greatest woman soccer player of all time, and all.
Whether or not progress is brought by the reported lawsuit, the situation won’t be resolved any time soon.
We hope they switch to grass because, if you've ever played soccer on turf, then you know that it sucks.
