Abby Wambach: FIFA declined free grass fields for Women's World Cup
U.S. women's national team forward Abby Wambach claims FIFA could have installed free grass fields for this summer's Women's World Cup in Canada, according to ESPN's Julie Foudy.
Wambach told Foudy that The Scotts Company offered to provide free grass fields so that games would not have to be played on turf, but FIFA declined.
Wambach said that FIFA wanted to honor Canada's original bid, which stated that artificial turf fields would be used. She told Foudy that she heard FIFA's reasoning from the organization's secretary general, Jerome Valcke.
In January, Wambach and other players decided to abandon their lawsuit against FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association. The suit aimed to have the 2015 Women's World Cup played on natural grass instead of artificial turf.
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The plaintiffs decided to give up the lawsuit in order to avoid a distraction heading into the tournament.
The 2015 Women's World Cup begins in June. The United States will compete in Group D with Australia, Sweden and Nigeria.
- Stanley Kay
