The Canadian Soccer Association maintains the artificial turf that will be used at the 2015 Women's World Cup is first class and says that a gender discrimination lawsuit filed by several players over the surface has no merit.
The CSA filed a response to the players' complaint late last week with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. The governing body for soccer in Canada opposes the players' request for an expedited hearing on the matter.
A group of international players led by U.S. star Abby Wambach filed the complaint earlier this month. They noted that the men's World Cup has never been played on artificial turf.
In a conference call Wednesday, attorney Sean Hern and CSA President Victor Montagliani disputed several aspects of the claim, including the Ontario tribunal's jurisdiction over the other cities hosting World Cup matches.