The Road to Canada

The Road to Canada

We’re now just seven months away from the seventh edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, but tournament organizers in Canada have had more than just football on the brain recently.

Following FIFA’s decision to allow matches on artificial turf, many prominent players from around the women’s game have filed a lawsuit on the grounds of gender discrimination, claiming that the much-maligned surface would never be considered for a men’s World Cup.

Amid all the legal hullaballoo of the past month, it’s easy to lose sight of the tournament’s competitive drama as so many nations from around the globe jockey to earn a spot in the field of 24. Last week, American standouts like Abby Wambach and Heather O'Reilly traded the courtroom for the pitch to qualify for the tournament they’re fighting so hard to play on grass.

Their legal mission — important as it may be — would mean little to them if they didn’t first take care of business in Philadelphia, where the CONCACAF Women’s Championship — North America, Central America, and the Caribbean’s route to the World Cup — was held in front of a fanatical crowd.

The US hasn’t won a Women’s World Cup since 1999, but is still regarded by most as the game’s premier power — and their regional dominance was on display as they trounced Costa Rica in the final by a score of 6-0. Despite the drubbing, Las Ticas finished the tournament with a smile, securing a World Cup berth as proud runners-up, alongside the Yanks and third-place finishers, Mexico.

With qualification secured, we’ll be following these teams every step of the way — inside and outside of the courtroom — as they turn their attention to next summer.

We’ll see you in Canada. Hopefully, on grass.

[Words by Zack Goldman; photos by Luis Sanchez]