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, have 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 Alex Bregman Astros Jersey .Mila Kunis was a guest on Kimmel last night and revealed a surprising side of herself that comes out when she watches sports. It turns out screaming something vulgar at professional athletes is therapeutic for Kunis. Cy Sneed Jersey .ca contributor Grant McCagg provides a look at some risers and fallers on the prospect watch. https://www.cheapastros.com/513o-hector-...sey-astros.html. Ferrer will play Mikhail Youzhny on Sunday after he defeated Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 6-4 in an all-Russian semifinal. "Youzhny is a good player," Ferrer said. Josh James Jersey . - Loosening up for their first training camp practice, the Miami Dolphins high-stepped sideways up and down the field while House of Pains song "Jump Around" blared on the loudspeakers. Michael Brantley Jersey . After losing a shutout bid in the dying seconds of Sundays win over the Colorado Avalanche, Luongo would not be denied against the punchless Oilers and is now just one back of Patrick Roy for 14th on the all-time list.MINNEAPOLIS -- Texas Rangers prospect Joey Gallo showed off his power with a soaring two-run homer in the sixth inning to give the U.S. team the lead for good in a 3-2 victory over the World squad Sunday at the All-Star Futures Game for baseballs best minor leaguers. Gallos one-out drive to right field off Houston Astros right-hander Michael Feliz was estimated at 419 feet. The 20-year-old third baseman for Double-A Frisco hit several other balls farther than that during a head-turning batting practice display at Target Field. Toronto Blue Jays prospect Dalton Pompey of Mississauga, Ont., was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a strikeout for the World team. The assumed successor for four-time All-Star Adrian Beltre with the Rangers, Gallo has 31 homers and 73 RBIs this season in 85 games. He followed a two-run homer in the top of the sixth by Javier Baez against Washington Nationals right-hander Lucas Giolito. With so many bad teams in recent seasons, the Chicago Cubs have been collecting a tantalizing bunch of potential stars, with Baez and Kris Bryant at the top of the list. Baez, the ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft, and Bryant, the second selection in 2013, comprise the left side of the infield for Triple-A affiliate Iowa. Bryant went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts while playing third base for the U.S team, which has won five straight Futures Games, raised its record to 10-6 since the exhibition was started in 1999. Until the Baez-Gallo home run derby that broke out in the sixth, this was much more of a showcase of pitching prospects, mirroring the major league trend toward more dominance on the mound and shrinking sluggingg percentages.dddddddddddd The first five U.S. pitchers tossed scoreless innings, starting with Henry Owens, the Double-A lefty for the Boston Red Sox. Minnesota Twins right-hander Alex Meyer, who could soon be pitching on the same mound for the big league team, needed only four pitches for the fourth. His fastball reached 97 mph. Meyer, acquired from the Nationals in a trade for centre fielder Denard Span, has 103 strikeouts in 89-plus innings for Triple-A Rochester. World team starter Jose Berrios, another Twins prospect, taken with the 32nd overall pick in the 2012 draft, struck out centre fielder Michael Taylor of the Nationals to start the game and pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Julio Urias, a native of Sinaloa, Mexico, currently at Class A Rancho Cucamonga for the Los Angeles Dodgers, became the youngest-ever Futures Game player. Urias, who will turn 18 next month, pitched a perfect fifth. He struck out Taylor with a 94 mph fastball. New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard, who started the game last year at his future home, Citi Field, got the save. Twins fans in attendance also had World team first baseman Kennys Vargas to cheer, the David Ortiz clone who hit a double in four at-bats in the cleanup spot. The U.S. team was supervised by former Twins manager Tom Kelly, currently a special instructor for the organization. Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven, who played for Kelly on the 1987 World Series-winning club, managed the World team. In an ode to his Dutch heritage and class-clown personality, Blyleven presented the lineups before the game while wearing an oversized pair of yellow wooden shoes. ' ' '