TORONTO - The Canadian Soccer Association has dismissed allegations that it has targeted players involved in a legal challenge to the use of artificial turf at next summers Womens World Cup. Jordan Morris Jersey .The Canadian Soccer Association categorically denies that it engaged in any retaliation against players who filed complaints under the Human Rights Code against the Canadian Soccer Association and FIFA regarding the use of turf at the FIFA Womens World Cup Canada 2015, the association said in a statement Tuesday.No such threats were made and any suggestion that Canadian Soccer Association officials engaged in any wrongdoing is completely baseless.Lawyers for a group of elite female players involved in the human rights challenge allege that the women are being pressured to drop their lawsuit.In a letter Monday to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the lawyers said the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) and FIFA — aided by national federations — have threatened reprisals against a coalition of the world’s best female soccer players for bringing this sex discrimination action.The women asked the tribunal for a cease-and-desist order.The players allege that Mexican international Teresa Noyola and French internationals Camille Abily and Elise Bussaglia had been threatened with reprisals.Noyola, according to the filing, was told she would not be invited to play for the Mexican national team unless she withdrew her name from the legal challenge. Abily and Bussaglia were led to believe that their continued participation in this action would lead to retaliation by FIFA in the awarding of the 2019 women’s World Cup.France is seeking to host the 2019 World Cup.All three have since pulled out of the complaint, although lawyers for the group saying 20 players have stepped forward to replace them. The total number now numbers 62.The players also allege that Costa Rican internationals Diana Saenz and Katherine Alvarado, along with a third unidentified player, were told by Costa Rican Federation officials that their participation put their positions on the team in jeopardy as a result of pressure from CSA and FIFA.The women have filed a human rights complaint that FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association are discriminating against women by making them play on artificial turf while the mens World Cup is held on natural grass.The women includes Germanys Nadine Angerer, Japans Yuki Ogimi and Americans Shannon Boxx, Sydney Leroux, Alex Morgan and Abby Wambaugh. There are no Canadian players named to avoid conflicts with the CSA, which doubles as the tournaments national organizing committee.FIFA and the CSA have no plans to change the playing surface, saying playing on approved turf is sanctioned under the rules of the game. The CSA has engaged an independent consultant to test the surfaces at venues in Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver. The results are expected in early 2015.The tournament runs June 6 to July 5.___Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter Sean Johnson Jersey .com) - The collective hearts of Chicago Bulls fans sank on Friday night when Derrick Rose went down with a leg injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Matt Miazga USA Jersey . Sweeting scored two in the first and three in the second before Strong (4-4) got two back in the fourth. Sweeting then scored three in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh to grab a commanding 9-2 lead. http://www.soccerusateamonline.com/Alejandro-Bedoya-Copa-America-Jersey/ . - Considering where Jeff Gordon was after Richmond, left out of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in part due to some late-race shenanigans, he couldnt have been happier on Sunday. SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Top-seeded Tommy Haas retired with a shoulder injury while losing 6-3, 3-2 to Paolo Lorenzi of Italy in the Brazil Open semifinals on Saturday. Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. He kept playing despite needing medical treatment several times, and finally gave up after going down another break in the second set. The 12th-ranked German said the pain was "getting worse during the match" and it didnt allow him to "compete the way" he wanted. "After I threw my racket when I got broken at three-all I felt a lot of pain in my shoulder and it never really got away," the 35-year-old Haas said. "The pain was getting worse. And the smart players decision has to be not to continue, unfortunately." Haas said he has been frustrated with shoulder problems and admitted it could play a factor on when to stop playing. "Ive had three shoulder injuries and one elbow injury, so my shoulder is not the youngest, not the way it needs to be," Haas said. Chris Wondolowski USA Jersey. "Im very happy that I can still play at a high level, but sometimes the shoulder is very, very tired, very, very stiff, and it tells me not to continue. But Ill try to play as long as I can, hopefully for the rest of the season, then we will see." The 32-year-old Lorenzi, ranked 114th, will play in his first ATP final against 61st-ranked Federico Delbonis of Argentina, who got past home-crowd favourite Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 in 2 hours, 9 minutes. Lorenzi had previously never advanced past the quarterfinals. "When I started this tournament I never thought that I would be playing in the final," Lorenzi said. "Now tomorrow lets see what happens. Right now Im just happy to be in this final." Rafael Nadal elected not to defend the title this week. He chose to play in the first Rio Open, which he won last week. 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