ZURICH - Top female players have taken a protest against artificial turf at the World Cup in Canada to FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, though with little hope of success.American forward Abby Wambach and Germany midfielder Nadine Kessler met a FIFA delegation Monday ahead of the womens top player award announcement at the Ballon dOr ceremony.Wambach said at the players official FIFA news conference that they talked openly, candidly with Valcke, but did not expect natural grass pitches to be approved ahead of the June 6 kickoff.I think FIFA has made their decision and they are sticking to it, the 2012 FIFA player of the year said. The powers that be, the logistics, the timing — it just may not happen.Its tough because as female athletes we want to be treated equal and we want to be playing on grass, Wambach said.Wambach and Brazil forward Marta, the third candidate for the 2014 player award, have supported an anti-discrimination action filed in the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.A lawyer for the rebel faction of women said a counter-proposal was also made to FIFA — that the 2015 Canadian tournament be played on artificial grass until the semifinals, third-place and final matches.The proposal calls for temporary natural grass surfaces to be installed at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton and B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver for those four games.Lawyer Hampton Dellinger said FIFA had apparently wasted little time rejecting a proposal that would have settled the dispute. The battle over the use of plastic pitches at the womens World Cup can easily and quickly come to a peaceful resolution, he said in a statement. All FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association need to do is accept the players feasible, affordable, and more than fair deal. FIFA and CSA have no legitimate excuse to reject the players proposal and, if they have, I urge them to reconsider.However, Wambach suggested an effective campaign by womens players would have needed to start sooner and with players included in FIFAs decision-making.If we had better dialogue over a year ago, two years ago when these decisions were really being made maybe we could have put together a coalition sooner to fight this, she said.FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot said Valcke had promised, at the meeting, to include players more in future discussions.Protests by players now seem unlikely to be a distraction at the month-long 24-team tournament, being played in Moncton, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.We are not going to get into the World Cup environment and continue to talk about it, Wambach said. That is something that will take our attention away from what our real goal is, and that is raising the trophy at the end.FIFA has insisted artificial turf does not affect the quality of play or increase the risk of players sustaining leg injuries.Wambach challenged that view Monday.I know Im going to be a heck of a lot more sore after the tournament, thats for sure, said the 34-year-old Wambach, who has played in three World Cups and has to yet to win the trophy.It is sad because it will be my last World Cup and I really, really would love it to be on grass.---With files from The Canadian Press in Toronto. Air Jordan Clearance Sale . Next week, hell try to add to the list. A Stanley Cup champion as a rookie, Seguin followed that up by becoming the youngest player to lead the Boston Bruins in scoring. Air Jordan Cheap Wholesale . Atletico Madrid made it three wins from three thanks to a double from in-form striker Diego Costa in a 3-0 victory at Austria Vienna, leaving the Spanish side on the brink of the last 16 already to continue its brilliant start to the season. http://www.nzairjordan.com/. He left in the 4th inning of Saturdays game against the Tigers after experiencing tightness. Reyes and the team still hope that he will be ready for Opening Day in Tampa Bay in one week. Wholesale Air Jordan NZ . PAUL, Minn. Air Jordan NZ Online . Fognini won 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 after Argentinas Carlos Berlocq had beaten Andreas Seppi 4-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 on the outdoor clay surface. Doubles are set for Saturday with reverse singles on Sunday to decide which team reaches the quarterfinals.TORONTO -- American tennis legend Pete Sampras offered some words of praise for Milos Raonic just hours after the Canadian star helped make Rogers Cup history. Raonic and fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil both advanced to the semifinals at the mens event in Montreal, marking the first time in the Open Era that two Canadians will meet in the semis. Sampras, in Toronto for a Legends Cup exhibition event with fellow former world No. 1s Jim Courier and John McEnroe, says the No. 13-ranked Raonic is due for a breakthrough but it wont come easily. "Hes up against (Novak) Djokovic and (Andy) Murray and Roger (Federer) and four great players, and it takes time," said Sampras. "I think hes a threat already. I think hes got a huge game, monster serve, willing to come in and do some things and get to the net." Sampras is second all-time in Slams won (14) and weeks spent as the worlds No. 1-ranked player (286). He won two Australian Opens, seven Wimbledon titles, and five U.S. Opens. He exited pro tennis by winning his very last match in the 2002 U.S. Open final against Andre Agassi. Samprass reflected back on his own career and the time it took him to find the kind of success that has so far eluded Raonic in the majors.dddddddddddd "I didnt figure this game out until I was probably 22 or 23, so when everything was settled in I was physically and mentally great. I knew where I stood in the game," he said. "It just takes time. I know Milos does the right things; he works hard; he wants to do well. "He just has to be patient. It isnt going to happen overnight." The 41-year-old Sampras is often asked about the state of the American game. When the new ATP ranking are released, there will be no American men in the top-20 for the first time. "People ask me all the time whats wrong with American tennis. I dont know why," he said. "Its looking a little slim. Were in decent shape, but obviously we want our guys to be ranked No. 1 like we were in the 90s. "The world has gotten a little better. Maybe the U.S has gotten a little bit complacent. I really dont know. I think what happened in the 90s with Andre, me and Jim was rare." ' ' '