A week ago tonight, thousands of fans around Hawaii went to sleep thinking the next day they’d go to the most anticipated women’s soccer event ever in this state.

They awoke to news the game was canceled, and now everybody’s lawyered up.

In case you lost track of the legal scoreboard:

>> On Monday, Aloha Stadium received a letter from the U.S. Soccer Federation stating it might come after the stadium for not providing a proper venue for the match between the United States Women’s National Soccer Team and that of Trinidad and Tobago.

>> Also on Monday, the Hawaii Tourism Authority — a major sponsor of the game that never happened — revealed that its contract with U.S. Soccer for the game was never officially executed, and HTA had not paid any of the $200,000 it had agreed to in principle as an appearance fee for the team.

>> On Wednesday, the Honolulu firm of Perkin & Faria filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the fans, especially those from off-island who paid for transportation, lodging and other travel expenses to see the match that was never played. U.S. Soccer and the Aloha Stadium Authority are defendants in that one.

>> The state attorney general’s office and stadium officials Friday allowed media to examine and take pictures of the field that players and coaches deemed unplayable Sunday, fearing injuries on the turf. This all stems from artificial turf vs. natural grass. Soccer players say the turf at Aloha Stadium is subpar and dangerous.

I generally like class-action lawsuits, because they’re chances for the little guy who got bullied by the big guy to get his. In this case, Brandee Faria, the advocate for the fans, said this could be a seven-figure suit if a judge awards treble in damages because of unfair or deceptive trade practices.

She said that is appropriate for several reasons, including that the cancellation was done so late the night before the game was scheduled.

“It was a Christmas present for a lot of them, so they planned on staying here. So they’re crushed. Especially since they didn’t know until getting an email the morning of the event,” she said. “I think it’s important. For example, a guy from Maui brought his family over. Dad works at the electric company and mom works at a hotel. A thousand dollars is a lot of money.”

Yes it is. And a class action lawsuit might recover even more than that for them.

But, maybe there’s something better than money. Maybe that $200,000 that the HTA won’t have to pay out to U.S. Soccer (as no legal action is expected) can still be put to good use to promote soccer. It’s more than enough to bring Abby Wambach back to Hawaii sometime after she retires from the sport; her last game is against China in New Orleans next Wednesday. Add a couple of other retired stars, including local girl Natasha Kai, to the mix and have them tour the state to do clinics on each of the islands and spread autographs and good vibes.

Another win-win would’ve been to use that money to reimburse those who flew to get to Oahu to see the world’s greatest women’s soccer team, but did not. It’s probably too late for kumbaya though, as the legal proceedings grind into gear.

Few people are talking now, because they’re afraid anything they say can and will … well, you know the rest.

What some already said might haunt them later. Sunil Gulati, the president of U.S. Soccer, apologized publicly Monday to fans, players and support staff because no one from the Federation did a check on the field beforehand for its suitability for soccer.

He called it “absolutely a black eye for this organization,” and added, “We had a series of mistakes involving this game.”

That kind of talk, published by many media outlets, should help Faria’s case.

“If he’d been here I would’ve kissed him,” she said.

It would be a rare example of appreciation amid the conflict and chaos of what was supposed to have been a friendly match turning into what, as Faria noted, could be an extended turf war.

That’s where all this stems from — disagreement over artificial turf and grass. Yes, if the men play on grass, so should the women. But describing pieces of infill that resemble uncooked rice in size and texture as “sharp rocks” isn’t the way to do it.

Even if the fans get their money back — and I hope they do — the mainland perception of Hawaii becomes not just a place with a lousy stadium, but one that will sue you, too. Not exactly alluring to potential sports promoters.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.