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Women's World Cup Kicks Off Amid FIFA Scandal

Courtesy of Tanya Keith
Tanya Keith and friends at a US soccer team game.

Though coverage of FIFA has been negative, run through with charges of corruption, fans at the FIFA Women's World Cup are trying to focus on the positive.

"I think most people are relieved that FIFA is finally getting called out on their corruption, [due to] the scandal we all kinda knew was taking place but no one could prove. Among the American fans, it's kind of funny, because there's no small amount of pride that it was the US Department of Justice that brought the charges against FIFA."

But the FIFA Women's World Cup has problems of it's own, namely accusations of gender discrimination regarding artificial turf compared to natural grass in the Men's World Cup and gender testing.

"There's such more scrutiny in women's soccer. We all want to have a fair game and fair play. But there's nothing fair about inequality. If you wouldn't do that on the men's side, why are you doing it on the women's side?

In this News Buzz edition of River to River, host Emily Woodbury talks to Tanya Keith, a Des Moines resident and soccer enthusiast who's currently in Winnipeg for the FIFA Women's World Cup.

rtr150612_fifa.mp3
Host Emily Woodbury talks with Tanya Keith and Dan Strey.

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