USWNT Announces Match vs. Trinidad and Tobago Has Been Canceled

The United States women's national soccer team announced that it has canceled its Victory Tour match against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday because of poor field conditions at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, where the match was to be held.

U.S. Soccer said it tested the stadium surface, which features artificial turf, on Saturday and attempted to explore other options to salvage the match before making the announcement Sunday.

"Player safety is our No. 1 priority at all times, and after a thorough inspection throughout the day, we determined it was in the best interest for both teams to not play the match," Neil Buethe, spokesman for U.S. Soccer, said in a statement. "We regret not being able to play in front of our fantastic, loyal fans."

Julie Foudy of ESPN shared a photo showing the poor field conditions:

Sunday’s drastic yet warranted decision came just two days after star midfielder Megan Rapinoe suffered a torn ACL in a non-contact injury while training in Hawaii, leaving her hopes for next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in doubt.

The USWNT collectively clarified its decision in a poignant letter on the Players’ Tribune, titled “Equal Footing”:

"

And this was about wanting to protect women’s soccer players in general. 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.

"

It’s a shame to see what was supposed to be a celebration of the U.S. women’s 2015 FIFA World Cup title come to a screeching halt, but kudos to the Americans for boldly taking a stand to raise awareness on a longstanding issue.