Sexism — the game’s last great hurdle

The build-up to this summer’s Women’s World Cup was overshadowed by one thing: a dispute about turf.

Many of the most high-profile players, including USA stars Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan, put their weight behind a lawsuit that challenged a decision to play the tournament on artificial pitches at venues across six different Canadian cities.

They maintained it was gender discrimination, that the same treatment would not be meted out to men. But in January, the group decided against pursuing the legal action.