TORONTO - Players on the U.S. mens soccer team have thrown their support behind the women fighting against artificial turf at the 2015 Womens World Cup.The U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association issued a statement Monday saying its members fully support the womens national team players from around the world in their efforts to play on natural grass at the 2015 Womens World Cup.We know firsthand the importance of playing the World Cup on natural grass and the ways playing on artificial turf changes the games fundamentals. the statement said. We have all played on artificial turf and we know there are circumstances where it is appropriate or conditions require its use, but the World Cup is not one of those circumstances.To play the Womens World Cup on artificial turf would be a serious mistake.The association represents the U.S. mens national team players on compensation, working conditions and other matters. It also is the membership organization for alumni members of the U.S. mens team.It has no link to the American womens team.A group of elite female players from around the world has launched a legal challenge to the use of turf with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, arguing that it discriminates against women because the men do not play their showcase tournament on artificial surfaces.U.S. star Abby Wambach is one of several American women behind the challenge.FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association have dismissed the claim, saying the laws of the game allow playing on turf as long as it is of a certain quality.Its not as much about the legal challenge. Its about the importance of the World Cup and the Womens World Cup is a World Cup, Mark Levinstein, acting executive director and general counsel of the U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association, said in an interview. And we think its important that whoevers playing in a World Cup, that the World Cup is treated with a certain amount of respect.That the U.S. men support playing on natural grass is not a surprise. But by doing so formally, they have injected themselves into the debate.There is much for the men at stake in this debate too, with FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke saying recently that a mens World Cup could be held on artificial surfaces sooner rather than later.The statement from the U.S. mens team players gives the women another weapon in their arsenal, not to mention another headline. Both sides have taken turns firing salvos in the war of words, with FIFA using its website to strategically release information on its side of the argument.The association representing the U.S. mens team players also weighed in on allegations that FIFA and national associations have pressured women not to join the legal challenge.We support the right of the women players to stand up for what they believe, said the association. No player should ever be threatened with exclusion from their national team, damage to their career, or adverse consequences to their national team or the sport in their country (such as exclusion from the World Cup or damaging their countrys chances of hosting a World Cup) for exercising their legal rights, especially when they are trying to protect the sport, the fans, and their fellow players.The message is simple and unequivocal: the World Cup should not be played on artificial turf and the organizers and the players should work together to schedule the games on grass for the benefit of the sport, the players, and the fans who will be attending and watching this and future Womens World Cups.There seems no immediate solution, with the Canadian Soccer Association rejecting an offer of early mediation from the Human Rights Tribunal of Canada.The CSAs position is because the players claim has no validity, there is need to negotiate. And with the tournament starting in June, time is trickling away although the women say a solution — temporary grass surfaces or use of venues with real grass — could happen on relatively short notice.The Human Rights Tribunal rejected the players bid for an expedited hearing, offering up the early mediation instead and has several other matters on the issue to resolve before a full hearing can take place.The Canadian tournament runs June 6 to July 5 in Moncton, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter Daniel Sedin Jersey .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Trevor Linden Jersey .C. United have acquired midfielder Alex Caskey from the Seattle Sounders for a third-round pick in the 2016 MLS draft. http://www.officialcanuckspro.com/Michae...nucks-jersey/.Y. - Brooklyn Nets centre Brook Lopez has a strained lower back and will miss at least a week. Vancouver Canucks Jerseys . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. Markus Granlund Jersey .ca. In Sundays Blackhawks-Penguins game, Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik laid a huge hit on Chicagos Jonathan Toews. Now in my view, Orpik can be clearly seen leaving his feet while delivering a moderately high hit.In a short time at the helm, Tim Leiweke has made a massive impact on Toronto FC and his upcoming departure as president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment will likely lead to some uncertainty as to how the club will move forward. After seven years of failure at TFC, Leiweke started the job of dragging the club off its knees and giving it relevance again in the countrys biggest media market. He has made big progress, but the task is nowhere near finished, and the departure of Leiweke will raise questions about Torontos future ability to compete as one of the top two or three power brokers in Major League Soccer. In MLS, you dont necessarily need to spend mega bucks to bring success – look at last years two MLS Cup finalists, Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake for example - but with Leiweke in charge the goal wasnt just to be good in MLS, it was to become a "super club." He made big, bold promises, and he certainly delivered. On a cold, January day Toronto FC made one of the biggest splashes in Major League Soccer history, introducing not one, but two Designated Players arriving in the league from Europe. The signings of Jermain Defoe from Tottenham Hotspur and Michael Bradley from Roma marked a day in the clubs history that can only be matched in importance by the day the franchise was launched. "A very simple saying we will steal from the Kennedys is appropriate today," Leiweke said when opening the press conference on that day back in January. "Some people see things as they are and say why. Others dream of what can be and they say why not. Today is why not. Why cant we be great?" It was a day that made a big impact within the city of Toronto, but also changed the landscape across Major League Soccer. Those deals set a new standard for MLS, but they also saved the club from obscurity. Toronto had to commit what Leiweke called "financial suicide" to make the signings, but it was the only option att the time.ddddddddddddIn Leiwekes own words, "the patient was dying." The club was on "life support." You cant put a price on saving a club. Since bringing David Beckham to LA Galaxy from Real Madrid in 2007, Leiweke shown he has the ability to operate superbly in the global football environment. That ability is something Toronto FC lacked in the past, and will need to ensure they establish post-Leiweke if they are to compete on the biggest stage. Without Leiweke there is no Defoe in Toronto. Without Leiweke there probably wouldnt be the signing of Michael Bradley either. It was his contacts, negotiating skills and sales charm that made those moves a possibility. Having him in charge of TFC opened doors. He also managed to convince the board of directors to splash out enormous sums of money to make those deals a reality. Leiwekes arrival in Toronto was a big win for the MLS team because of his soccer background. He had already achieved a lot within the sports and entertainment business, but he also had a track record in MLS. His interest in the team and the league meant he invested a lot of time into fixing the club. While others in that role may give more time and energy to the Maple Leafs and Raptors, Leiweke was just as invested in getting things right at Toronto FC. He fired TFCs vastly experienced president and general manager Kevin Payne and appointed rookie GM Tim Bezbatchenko from the league office. He stuck with head coach Ryan Nelsen. Its still too early to say whether those moves will prove to be a success, but at this stage the club is on course for its first ever playoff appearance. So as Leiweke exits, it will be intriguing to see how big the impact will be on Toronto FC. Will they still choose to go after the big names with the "anything is possible," approach? Or will they be much more reserved in their ambitions? Either way, Leiweke has laid a foundation and there is still much building to be done. ' ' '