With Turf, Women See Unequal Footing
AUG. 12, 2014
NYT article on Women’s soccer. They are suing FIFA and demanding that they DO NOT use artificial turf for the games.
Within minutes of the goal, the image was seen around the world: Robin van Persie, playing in the Netherlands’ World Cup opener in June, flying what seemed like dozens of feet above the ground, headfirst, to score a goal against Spain. The Internet went berserk. Van Persie, the Flying Dutchman. Van Persie as Superman. Van Persie, the newest Peter Pan.
Who will provide the van Persie moment of the Women’s World Cup next year in Canada? United States forward Abby Wambach can tell you who it won’t be.
“I’m not going in for a diving header like van Persie did, no way,” she told me last week, which sounded weird coming from a player known for such plays.
Her reasoning was simple. Performing a diving header on a grass field is one thing; doing it on artificial turf — which, for the first time, will be used for every field at next year’s women’s championship — is something else altogether.
https://nyti.ms/1q7lJjA
