Hope Solo calls attention to field conditions in Boca Raton

US national team goalkeeper Hope Solo took to Twitter to show her concern about the field conditions at FAU Stadium for Wednesday night's (Thursday in Manila) match against Germany.

 

Solo posted a photo of worn grass at the Boca Raton, Florida, stadium on Tuesday (Wednesday), writing, "This is what the top two women's teams in the world will play on tomorrow night." She added "(hashtag) EqualMeansEqual."

 

Her complaint marks the second time that national team players have drawn attention to field conditions since the United States won the Women's World Cup last year.

 

A December match in Hawaii was called off a day before the game because of problems with the artificial turf. U.S. Soccer said the Aloha Stadium surface was "not suitable to hold an international soccer match," while the players pointed to inequality between field standards for men's and women's games.

 

Playing surface and gender equity were also an issue at last summer's World Cup in Canada, which was played on artificial turf.

 

A group of players, led by U.S. forward Abby Wambach, filed a legal complaint in Canada before the event, claiming that playing on what some consider an inferior surface amounted to gender discrimination, because the men's tournament is held on real grass.

 

The players later dropped the claim to focus on preparation for the World Cup, but their protest generated widespread support. Even Kobe Bryant and Tom Hanks were critical.

 

Following the cancellation of the match in Hawaii, the players went to The Players' Tribune website with a post that spoke to the inequality of playing conditions.

 

"We have become so accustomed to playing on whatever surface is put in front of us. But we need to realize that our protection — our safety — is priority No. 1. At the end of the day, we expect to be treated equally as our male counterparts. And we hope that, in the future, our fields and our venues will be chosen and inspected at the standard of an international match — whether it's men or women playing on the field," the players wrote in the post titled "Equal Footing."

 

The call for gender equity comes as U.S. Soccer and the players' union seek a new collective bargaining agreement.

 

The federation filed a lawsuit in federal court in Illinois last month seeking to clarify whether the previous agreement is in force through the end of the year. The players' union claims that no such deal exists, which could give the players the right to strike at any time if they so choose. Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman scheduled court arguments for May 25.

 

The United States, ranked No. 1 in the world, plays No. 2 Germany at FAU Stadium in the final of the SheBelieves Cup, a four-team tournament with No. 3 France and No. 5 England that opened on March 3 in Tampa Bay, Florida.

 

Last October the men's national team played Honduras at the Florida Atlantic University stadium. Some on social media said Solo's photo was not representative of the whole field.