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OTTAWA - FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke has rubbished a legal challenge over the use of artificial surfaces at next years Womens World Cup in Canada, saying anyone who says playing on turf is discriminatory is talking nonsense.The French executive took square aim at the rebel faction of players and their lawyers, who have been banging the drum for months over having to play their showcase tournament on artificial turf.The world governing body of soccer, which admittedly has had other fires to fight recently, had largely limited its turf response to articles on its website, including an Oct. 29 interview with a diplomatic Valcke. But on Friday, the secretary-general came out swinging.If anyone is saying that the use of the artificial pitch is a question of discrimination, its nonsense. Its completely crazy to say that, Valcke told a news conference on the eve of Saturdays tournament draw.It has nothing to do with discrimination. I cant imagine that no one would recognize what FIFA has done for the development of womens football over the last 15 years. We have asked all of our members associations to invest in womens football ... We have created new competitions and we are working on a potential new competition at the club level (a womens Club World Cup).We are every day trying to develop womens football around the world.A group of elite female players has filed a legal challenge with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, saying making women play on artificial turf is discriminatory because men play their showcase tournament on natural grass.The issue has dominated headlines, taking away some of the shine of a 52-game tournament that organizers ambitiously hope will draw 1.5 million spectators from June 6 to July 5.Hampton Dellinger, lead lawyer for the women challenging the turf, responded to Valckes comments by saying that the legal team that prepared the human rights complaint was completely lucid.The facts we put in our legal complaint make out a very compelling case of sex discrimination, he said in an interview from the U.S.Victor Montagliani, president of the Canadian Soccer Association and the tournament organizing committee, said the focus on the pitch has been mildly annoying.If I said I wasnt a little bit (frustrated), sure Id probably be lying, he said. But my frustrations not very high. Because to be honest with you, the conduct (of those challenging the turf) has been nothing short of what I call a little bit ridiculous. I can respect peoples opinions, I respect peoples comments. But also being a Canadian, I respect the process. And so they chose a (legal) arena to go into. And its still in that arena and I have to respect that. But they need to respect that as well. Captain Christine Sinclair, the lone player expected at the draw, and her fellow Canadian players have stayed clear of the turf brouhaha.I understand what theyre standing up for, she said of the players behind the legal challenge. Its not really an issue for me. Im preparing to play in a World Cup and thats what my focus is on. Ill let other players and other teams worry about issues outside the actual games.Valcke had promised an open dialogue at the draw. But, despite the fact only Sinclair is expected Saturday, he rejected an offer to speak to the rebel players via conference call.Asked about that, Valcke said he would talk with players in person but not on the phone — and he would not talk to lawyers.I am ready to discuss with all the players, with all the technical teams, with all the coaches. But face to face. And thats what Im ready to do .. Im ready to travel to wherever I have to travel to do that.Dellinger welcomed those words, saying they mark a step forward in making the Womens World Cup truly world-class.But the truth ultimately will be on the pitch, he added, referring to the type of playing surface.Four of the first five questions at the news conference were on the turf issues. But the following five touched other topics.Valcke confirmed that goal-line technology will be used at the womens tournament in Canada. And the prize money will be raised by US$5 million to $15 million, with the winner earning $2 million.Those were two issues raised by the lawyers for the rebel players, eager to point the finger at other differences between the mens and womens world championships.Germany, as winner of the mens World Cup this summer, earned $35 million. Total prize money for the mens event was $476 million.Valcke noted that the mens tournament, which made $4.5 billion this summer, finances all of FIFAs 20 world tournaments. And that the womens event was a relative new one — starting in 1991 — compared to the mens championship, which began in 1930.In a statement that may set the Canadians mens team on edge, Valcke congratulated Canada as perhaps the only one of FIFAs 209 member associations that is spending more money on womens soccer than men.The CSA would, no doubt, respond that its budget for the men and women shifts depending on what tournaments are nearest on the landscape.Still, the Canadian men are currently ranked 122nd in the world and have only ever been to one World Cup, in 1986. This marks the Canadian womens sixth trip to the World Cup in seven attempts.Saturdays draw at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., comes six months before the tournament kickoff. It will slot the 24 teams into six groups headed by host Canada (ranked eighth in the world by FIFA) and seeds Brazil (No. 6), France (No. 4), Germany (No. 2), Japan (No. 3) and the United States (No. 1).Canada will be in Pool A, playing its first two round-robin games in Edmonton and the third in Montreal. The rest will be determined at the draw.More draw details were released Friday, giving Canadas John Herdman and the other 23 coaches expected to attend Saturdays gala a sense of what to expect.There are four pots, with six teams in each.A worst-case scenario could see Canada drawn with Sweden (No. 5) or England (No. 7), Asian runner-up Australia (No. 10) and African champion Nigeria (seen as far better than its No. 35 ranking would suggest).A more friendly landscape would see Canada with Switzerland (No. 18), Thailand (No. 30) and Ivory Coast (No. 64).Herdman suggested the group of death starts with the European teams awaiting in Pot 4No easy games. But there are some harder ones. 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Its just, it seems like the spot we want him right now. Authentic Corey Moore Jersey . Ramirez is still hitting behind Puig, only now they are in the third and fourth spots, and the change is starting to generate positive results for manager Don Mattingly. CLEVELAND -- The Tampa Bay Rays road show rolls on. Next stop: Boston. Alex Cobb dodged trouble for nearly seven innings and the Rays pitched their way to another must-have win on the road, beating the Cleveland Indians 4-0 Wednesday night in the AL wild-card game. Cobb, who missed a chunk of the regular season after he was hit in the head by a line drive, quieted a thundering Cleveland crowd and ended the Indians unexpected season. "Cant put into words the appreciation I have celebrating on this field," Cobb said. "I knew how close it was to not coming back. Sitting on the couch watching these games, I knew we had a good chance. We have a great team. I was going to do everything I could to get back and be a part of it." Delmon Young homered in the third inning off rookie Danny Salazar as the Rays, playing in their third city over four days, advanced to face the AL East champion Red Sox in the division series starting Friday. "I felt like weve done it and been here before," said Desmond Jennings, who hit a two-run double. "The road we took to get here was pretty tough going to New York, Toronto, playing a game in Texas." Cobbs comeback in August from his frightening injury helped stabilize the Rays, who have spent the past two weeks winning crucial games to reach the post-season for the fourth time in six years. Cobb pitched out of massive jams in the fourth and fifth, and allowed two runners to reach in the seventh before turning it over to Tampa Bays dependable bullpen. Joel Peralta struck out Nick Swisher on three pitches, ending Clevelands last real chance. Fernando Rodney worked a perfect ninth, striking out Lonnie Chisenhall to end it. Rodney dropped to one knee, pointed skyward and soon was mobbed by all the Rays, who may be a little homesick but are Boston-bound. "Go out and play our game," Jennings said. "Its going to be tough anytime you play Boston." Unfazed by a raucous, red-clad, towel-waving crowd of 43,579 that roared like a jet engine inside Progressive Field, the Rays handled the Indians and will now face their division nemesis, the Red Sox, who went 12-7 against Tampa Bay this season. David Price set the tone for the Rays post-season run by throwing a complete game to beat Texas in the wild-card tiebreaker Monday night, and Cobb picked up where his teammate left off. After he was pulled in the seventh, Cobb walked to the dugout where he was first greeted with a high-five from Price. "The adrenaline was going pretty fast there in the early going," Cobb said. "Once Delmon hit that home run, I tried to fill up the strike zone. My stuff wasnt the best, but I made my defence work. They were awesome." There was a time when Cobb wasnt even sure he would pitch again this season. On June 15, he suffered a concussion when he was struck in the right ear by a line drive hit by Kansas Citys Eric Hosmer. Cobb was sidelined for 50 games and Tuesday he recalled lying on his sofa and wondering if he would be able to help the Rays contend for a playoff spot. He didnt want a repeat of 2011, when he couldnt pitch in the playoffs after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot in his ribs. But not only did Cobb go 5-1 after his scary moment, the 25-year-old finished 11-3 in 22 starts and manager Joe Maddon didnt hesitate giving him the ball for the winner-take-all wild-card game.dddddddddddd The Indians went from 94 losses a year ago to 92 wins under first-year manager Terry Francona and won their last 10 games to make the post-season for the first time since 2007. But it was one and done for Cleveland, which didnt capitalize on scoring opportunities. The first three hitters, Michael Bourn, Swisher and Jason Kipnis, went a combined 0 for 12. The road-tested Rays, who have travelled 3,627 miles since leaving home on Sept. 23, took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on Jennings two-run double. James Loney and Evan Longoria hit one-out singles before Salazar retired Ben Zobrist on a fly to right, sending Loney to third. Jennings, who recently missed time with a hamstring injury, pulled Salazars pitch past diving a diving Chisenhall at third, and by the time left fielder Michael Brantley, who had been shading Jennings toward centre, ran it down, Loney and Longoria scored to give Cobb a three-run cushion. Cobb was in trouble in the bottom of the inning as the Indians loaded the bases on a double, single and walk. But Cobb got Asdrubal Cabrera to hit a grounder to first baseman Loney, who threw to second for a force and shortstop Yunel Escobar fired to Cobb covering first for the double play. Cobb pumped both fists in celebration, knowing he had escaped danger. It was nothing new for Cabrera, an All-Star the past two seasons who struggled in 2013 and went 2 for 15 with the bases loaded. The Indians threatened again in the fifth, putting two on with none out. But Cobb struck out Bourn, got Swisher to ground to first and retired All-Star Kipnis on a soft-as-cotton comebacker to keep it 3-0. Francona was confident Salazar, who sailed through Clevelands farm system with a rocket right arm, could prolong the season. "We gave him the ball for a reason," Francona said. "This stage isnt too big for him." And for the most part, Salazar held his own. But a few mistakes cost him and will undoubtedly give him some restless nights until spring training. Youngs ninth homer in the past three Octobers gave the Rays a 1-0 lead in the third, and their first hit off Salazar. Drafted first overall by Tampa Bay in 2003, Young returned to the Rays in August with plenty of post-season experience -- and success. He was the ALCS MVP with Detroit last season as the Tigers swept the New York Yankees in four games. Now hes on the road with the Rays, who want to travel as deep as they can this month. NOTES: Young is appearing in his fifth straight post-season: two with Minnesota, two with Detroit and this one with Tampa Bay. ... Indians reliever Chris Perez, who lost his closers job in the final week of the season after two horrid performances, was kept on the 25-man roster for the game. Francona said it "wasnt a tough decision" and said part of it was out of loyalty to the two-time All-Star. ... Rays RHP Jamey Wright was selected to his first post-season roster in his 18th major league season. ... Former Indians slugger Jim Thome was in attendance and got a rousing ovation when shown on the scoreboard. ' ' '