US senators push FIFA for real grass at the 2015 Women's World Cup

Published February 05, 2015

A group of 13 U.S. senators has joined in the protest over the plan to play the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada on artificial turf.

The senators signed letters sent Friday to FIFA and U.S. Soccer in support of players who say that holding the World Cup on artificial turf amounts to gender discrimination because men play soccer's premier tournament on real grass.

The players, who have filed legal action in Canada over the issue, claim that artificial turf impacts the way the game is played. They say the ball moves differently and players are more prone to certain injuries, like turf burn.

The letter, first reported by SI.com, was signed by 12 Democrats and one Republican. It urges soccer's international governing body to " reconsider this short-sighted and counterproductive decision."

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