This week, we review the U.S. National Team's latest Victory Tour matches, which included one game cancellation, a threatened boycott by Trinidad and Tobago and smaller crowds than earlier this fall.

The U.S. National Team defeated Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 in San Antonio, Texas on Thursday December 10 in a Women's World Cup Victory Tour Match, just four days after the players pulled out of a game versus the same opponent (on Sunday December 6) in Honolulu's Aloha Stadium.

The team had voiced strong displeasure with the state of the artificial pitch in Aloha Stadium; Megan Rapinoe's ACL injury Friday during training in Hawaii at another sub-par pitch (which was grass) seemed to be the tipping point.

In a post to the Player's Tribune, the team members explained their decision: “The conditions were such that our coach shortened practice to a brief, 30-minute training session so we wouldn't risk injury before the game. There were sharp rocks ingrained all over the field. They were everywhere. The artificial turf was actually pulling up out of the ground, and the turf itself was both low-grade and aging. This was a playing surface that looked like it hadn't been replaced in years."

Besides cancelling the game in Hawaii and having to refund advanced ticket sales, U.S. Soccer is dealing with the fallout, which includes a class action lawsuit from fans who traveled from outer islands to the island of Oahu for the game and are now stuck with hotel and air expenses.

There still could be litigation from the stadium. Scott Chan, the manager of Aloha Stadium said: “We are extremely disappointed that this event will not take place at Aloha Stadium. U.S. Soccer officials informed us that this game will not be played at approximately nine (Saturday night). We feel the people of Hawaii deserve to see an international soccer match of this caliber, however, we were unable to reach an agreement with U.S. Soccer to allow this event to happen."

Former U.S. National Team midfielder and announcer Julie Foudy said on Twitter that U.S. Soccer had not inspected the stadium and field ahead of time, which is standard practice ahead for men's internationals. To his credit, U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati admitted the federation's role in the situation to the New York Times, calling it “Absolutely a black eye for this organization….We had a series of mistakes involving this game. We screwed up. It won't happen again."

Playing on artificial turf has been an issue for women players, particularly with all the World Cup games in Canada on turf last summer. Abby Wambach, who is retiring from the game at the end of this year's Victory Tour, said that a men's World Cup would never be held entirely on artificial surfaces. After a lawsuit in Canadian court was thrown out and pleas to FIFA to install grass fields for the World Cup were ignored—the considerable expense to convert the fields temporarily was not budgeted by the CSA or FIFA when the tournament was awarded in early 2011--the vibrant play from the Americans and other teams largely overshadowed the issue, but it has come out into the spotlight again.

The Player's Tribune post made it clear that artificial turf is still a concern to their players, but that the decision in Hawaii was not solely based on the fact that the field was artificial turf (most of the games during the Victory Tour have been in stadiums with artificial fields): “There is a larger, more vital conversation about turf—as it concerns women's soccer—that continues to make progress, but turf is our reality right now, we play on it all the time. This decision wasn't about 'turf vs. grass.' This was about field conditions and player safety. It's as simple as that. Soccer is our job. Our bodies are out jobs. And nothing should ever be put in competition with our protection and safety as players."

This Victory Tour has been snake-bit—Australia's women's national team struck during a contract dispute with their federation in September and a two-game tour of the U.S. was cancelled a week before the first game. U.S. based Haiti was actually going to scrimmage Australia in Detroit before the marquee match and stepped in to help, playing the Americans in both games with an extremely young side. T&T players threatened to boycott the game in San Antonio over a long-running dispute with their federation over administrative issues, over which their men's side has threatened to boycott a play-in game in January for the Copa Centenario (CONMEBOL Century Celebration Tournament in the U.S.).

Another issue that U.S. Soccer must try to repair is their reputation in the Aloha State. This game was to be the first ever full international—men's or women's—played in the state. Very few professional games are held in distant Hawaii (2,500 miles from or 5 hours air time from Los Angeles) and the state hosted a North American Soccer League team in 1977 (Team Hawaii) to small crowds before it fled back to the mainland. Though sometimes touring European or Asian sides stop, it is a rare occasion for a high caliber game of this magnitude to be staged in Hawaii and the Federation and the women's team's reputation will be tarnished for a long time.

A far reaching impact of the cancelled game could be that we see more player strikes and games at risk, particularly friendlies. The American team in women's soccer have always been looked upon by many as global leaders and trailblazers, not just for their three WWC titles but also their equal status, college soccer scholarship opportunities, attempts at fully professional leagues and good salaries at the top level, but this contentious approach towards friendlies certainly could drive needed change towards turf and field standards, but at what risk?

Australia's strike was part of larger contract negotiations with men's national team players and the A-League, but Trinidad and Tobago organizationally has been a mess leading right back to the turmoil and graft of former CONCACAF president Jack Warner. If players or federations feel that striking and postponing games is an option, FIFA (not itself a pristine clearing house for the sport right now) may feel the need to step in and start applying strong sanctions. U.S. Soccer and their women's players have had contentious relationships and even strikes dating back to the mid-1990's. I hope this event does not come back to haunt the players at a later point but Alohagate, as some media are referring to it, will long be remembered as a low point for the game in the 50th state.

In San Antonio, the Americans overcame an out-of-shape Trinidadian squad 6-0. Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars) scored a hattrick. Other scorers included Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash) on a penalty, Lindsey Horan (Paris St. Germain who is rumored to be joining Portland Thorns for the 2016 season) and Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride for 2016). Interestingly, the game in San Antonio—against essentially half of the regulars from Trinidad, as the rest were in Brazil for a tournament (with some from the American tour members scheduled to join up after the South Texas game)—was also on turf, as have all of the Victory Tour matches except for Pittsburgh and Glendale (Phoenix), Arizona. The other group, coached by T&T assistant coach Anthony Creece (who played at East Stroudsburg State University in Pennsylvania) fell to Brazil, 11-0 with Marta scoring five goals.

The Thursday night crowd of 10,690 in San Antonio was disappointing after previous Victory Tour attendances of 44,028 (Pittsburgh), 35,735 (Birmingham), 34,538 (Detroit), 32,869 (Orlando), 23,693 (Seattle) and 20,535 (Chattanooga), the latter which was a sellout in a smaller stadium. Those six games average attendance was 31,884, which is unheard for women's soccer and rivals a men's friendly international in many cities now. The Hawaii crowd estimate was expected to be in the 15,000 range.

In Glendale (Phoenix), Arizona on Sunday, December 13, the U.S. came away with a very competently handled 2-0 win over China, with goals from NWSL 2015 leading goal scorer and Most Valuable Player Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit) and Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars). Despite the lower score, the American side dominated the game, finishing with 24 shots (6 on goal) to 4 shots for China (3 on goal), though when China had the ball, they showed creative moves and ball control. U.S. Head Coach Jill Ellis felt that her team played well in terms of movement, possession and creating attempts on goal. Throughout much of the first half, her defense played very high with two central defenders, while the wing backs raided up the touchlines towards China's goal.

Ellis explained: “We wanted to get pressure on their backs, so to do that we wanted our back line to push high, keep squeezing them from behind and keep the game compact. When you are in the driver's seat, your backline very often can afford to sit higher and get pressure on the ball and that was kind of how the game played out."

Crystal Dunn—who just missed out on a spot on last summer's World Cup squad--said about her 39th minute goal that: “Alex [Morgan] made a really great run and put a cross in that was deflected and fell to my feet. I shot it as hard as I could because the keeper was really tall and it went in and I was excited about it."

The players after the game were focused on the fact that Abby Wambach, the all-time leading goal scorer in international games (men's or women's) with 184 goals, will play her last game against China in New Orleans on December 16. Wambach substituted in at the 70th minute mark to a huge applause from the crowd of 19,066, a record for the women's national team in the state of Arizona.

Reserve forward Sydney Leroux, who herself when to high school in Phoenix, explained: “She [Wambach] has been my roommate for the last four years. As a friend and a teammate she has been my mentor. It is going to be a huge loss for this team, especially as a leader. As an amazing a soccer player as she is on the field, she's an even better person off. She will be missed."

Crystal Dunn added that Wambach: “Is going out as a champ and I hope she scores a goal [in New Orleans]."

Jill Ellis said: “The best way we can honor her is it to leave it all out on the field; that's what she done so many times."

Goalkeeper Hope Solo was friendly and jovial with reporters—not typically a common phenomenon--and said: “I was around when Mia [Hamm] and company retired and it was a big deal, with the first generation of top players in the program. She [Wambach] is such a leader and a big personality, on the field and off. On a personal standpoint, Abby's and my relationship has had some rocky times and incredible times and has been on the upswing for several years now. It is emotional for me."

As Solo eluded to, after the 4-0 defeat to Brazil in the Women's World Cup semifinal match in China, Solo made some very critical comments about head coach Greg Ryan's decision to bench her in lieu of 1999 World Cup winning goalkeeper Brianna Scurry for tactical reasons, which clearly did not come off. Solo was banished from the team, not allowed to participate in the third place match and had to travel home on her own.

Abby Wambach and Christine Rampone were the most outspoken about her behavior and how it damaged trust within the side. Head Coach Pia Sundhage replaced Ryan at the end of 2007 and essentially told the team that if you want to win, we need goalkeepers. Solo went on to backstop the team to two Olympic Gold Medals (2008 and 2012) and the 2015 World Cup; the strong dialogue that she has with Wambach after 2007 was integral to that success. The game in New Orleans will mark the end of Abby Wambach's long career.

As important as she was to the team's success on the field, she was a very visible leader for the women's game and equal rights for women off of it. She set a very high standard and though she will not be playing, expect her to still be an advocate for the women's game, which she loves and served so well for so long.

- image courtesy of Arianna Grainey photography