Image: Michael Chow
Associated Press, ESPN, June 26, 2015
EXCERPTS FROM THE ARTICLE:
Australian forward Michelle Heyman told reporters that when the temperature rises, the fields are like walking on "hot coals."
The use of artificial turf for this year's tournament in Canada has been a contentious issue since it was included in the nation's bid in 2011.
The ball bounces and rolls differently on a plastic pitch, causing turf burns on players and making recovery times longer. The men's World Cup has always been played on grass.
Speedy U.S. forward Alex Morgan acknowledges she's got blisters on her toes.
"I feel like turf in general is harder to recover from, just that achiness lasts a little bit longer, but we've been training on turf leading up to the World Cup ... so with that in mind, I think we're more used to it than someone who just jumped into a tournament going from grass," Morgan said.