TORONTO - FIFA has launched the latest salvo in defence of artificial turf at the 2015 Womens World Cup in Canada.In an article on FIFA.com, FIFA consultant Eric Harrison says artificial turf is a credible alternative to natural turf.And Harrison says artificial turf makes sense for Canadas climate.In countries like Canada, where most of the country experiences extremely harsh winters, preparing high quality natural turf venues is a challenge ... A late winter would bring incredible pressure to bear on preparing such grounds for the Women’s World Cup, he said.The majority of stadiums in Canada have accepted that only football turf is a credible surface to meet the demands of the weather and usage to which they wish to subject the fields.FIFA rules permit the use of artificial turf provided it meets certain standards.The world governing body of soccer and the Canadian Soccer Association, in its role as the tournaments national organizing committee, have been forced on the defensive over the World Cup playing surface via a lawsuit filed by a group of elite female players.The complaint is currently before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, which is mulling over a request from the women for an expedited hearing.Harrison, described by FIFA as an independent consultant, was part of the recent FIFA inspection tour that visited World Cup venues in Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.In the interview, Harrison touches on a major platform of the womens complaint, that they are being discriminated against since the mens World Cup has always taken place on grass. If there was a climatic condition that warranted its usage, I would recommend it for the mens World Cup as it is currently already used in World Cup qualifiers, Champions League games and many leading football leagues, Harrison said. If it suffices for this elite level then it is obviously suitable for elite football competition.Hampton Dellinger, lawyer for the players group, dismissed Harrisons arguments. Mr. Harrisons longstanding ties to FIFA undercut any claim that he is independent, Dellinger said in a statement Friday. And his refusal to acknowledge the problems with plastic pitches in matches such as Andorra-Wales or the success of premier temporary grass fields at Womens Euro 2013 suggest hes not the expert FIFA claims him to be.For anyone to suggest that the mens World Cup would be played on fields likened to concrete such as B.C. Place is laughable.The World Cup final is scheduled for B.C. Place.The women want temporary grass surfaces installed, or, where available, games moved to venues with real grass.Harrison also says laying a temporary grass surface over turf has not been successful due to the inability of the natural turf to form a stable surface.This can be dangerous to players as unsure footing results in players being cautious of how they move and turn on the surface, and in the worst-case scenario it can result in slippage of the boot on the surface, leading to overstretching of ankle ligaments and potential ACL injuries.While FIFA permits play on sanctioned turf, grass remains players preferred surface. Harrison seemed to touch on that in a indirect way.Football turf is a credible alternative, but if a good quality natural turf surface exists then embrace it, use it, enjoy it, Harrison concluded. However, if it is not possible to grow and maintain good quality natural turf for whatever reason, then football turf is a good alternative and its increased usage verifies this position.The CSA has retained a consultant of its own to test the World Cup playing surfaces to determine they meet FIFA standards. Those results are expected in early 2015.FIFAs executive committee has already ratified the decision to use artificial turf pitches at the tournament.Tatjana Haenni, FIFAs deputy director of the competitions division and head of womens competitions, delivered FIFAs position in person during the recent inspection trip when she said there was no Plan B.Harrison argues that preparing natural grass is particularly challenging in countries like Canada that have severe weather conditions.The fields in these northern latitudes are generally in poor condition after a long winter, with the natural turf appearing brown after many months without sunlight because they have been covered in snow. Furthermore, the effects of frost heave can leave many natural turf surfaces uneven, requiring extensive relevelling. Often, it is not until July/August that the natural turf has recovered sufficiently to be deemed to be in optimum condition.BMO Field in Toronto was just such a case this year after a long winter.Harrison took aim at another player argument, citing studies which concluded that the game at elite level was essentially the same on both football turf and natural turf.Harrison studied polymer science at Liverpool University and has a PhD from Loughborough University. He has served as chairman of the European Standards Committee on Sports Surfaces.The 24-team Womens World Cup runs June 6 through July 7.---Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter Packers Jerseys 2021 . -- Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf has been suspended two games for his hit from behind on Kevan Miller of the Bruins. Packers Jerseys China . -- Jonas Hiller is cautiously confident he has kicked his vertigo. https://www.packersjerseysale.com/. Hoefl-Rieschs exit — from the downhill course into safety nets, then airlifted from the slope by helicopter — left Anna Fenninger of Austria favourite to win her first giant crystal trophy one month after becoming an Olympic champion. Fake Packers Jerseys . A 23-year-old rookie, Stroman is 4-2 with a 3.44 earned run average in 12 games this season, the past seven of those being starts. He logged the first scoreless outing of his career on Friday versus Oakland in a no-decision. Wholesale Packers Jerseys . Scrivens stopped 48 shots and captain Andrew Ference scored in overtime as the Oilers pulled off a 4-3 upset of the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.Already looking at an uphill climb to end a five-year playoff drought, the Carolina Hurricanes job got even tougher with the news that Jordan Staal will have surgery on his broken right leg and miss three to four months. Staal will have surgery Friday in Raleigh, N.C., according to general manager Ron Francis, to repair a fractured fibula. The 26-year-old from Thunder Bay, Ont., was injured when he got tangled up with Buffalo Sabres defenceman Josh Gorges on Tuesday night. Thats tough, Gorges said Wednesday when told of Staals injury but before anyone knew how long hed be out. Hes a good player for that team. You dont want to see a guy go down like that the first game of the pre-season. This is the latest in a series of freak injuries for the Staal brothers in Carolina. Eric took a hit from Alex Edler at the 2013 world hockey championship that led to a strained ligament in his right knee and had surgery to repair a core muscle injury this past summer. Jordan Staal had been an iron man since the Hurricanes acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2012 draft, playing in all 130 games since the trade. He began a US$60-million, 10-year contract last season. Staals injury puts a dent in the Hurricanes plans to start the season under new coach Bill Peters.dddddddddddd Hes a big piece of what were going to do moving forward, Peters told reporters in Buffalo on Tuesday night. Not having Staal for the first half of the season means the Hurricanes will have to lean more heavily on Elias Lindholm and Riley Nash. And the onus is always on Eric, the captain. This NHL pre-season has included a handful of high-profile injuries, including Pavel Datsyuks shoulder and Claude Girouxs groin. But much like the New York Rangers Derek Stepan missing the first four to six weeks with a fractured fibula, Jordan Staals break was a case of bad luck and timing. The puck got moved up to him, I stepped in front of him to try to separate him from the play, Gorges recalled. We got kind of tangled up. He tried to grab around me to switch positions and the next thing I know he fell, mustve got tangled up and I went right over top of him. It was one of those plays that as soon as I landed on him, I heard him scream. I knew right away something mustve been hurt. A referee came over to tell Gorges that Staals injury looked pretty ugly. The long-term prognosis didnt turn out to be any better. You dont like to see that, and I hope he has a quick recovery, Gorges said. Thats a tough break, I feel for him. ' ' '