Just over three years after the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team forced the 11th-hour cancellation of an international match at Aloha Stadium in a dispute over being required to play on artificial turf that they deemed unsafe, unequal field conditions were also cited in a class action gender discrimination lawsuit filed Friday.

On International Women’s Day, 28 members of the team filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles alleging field conditions as among the areas that the U.S. Soccer Federation, which also oversees the Men’s National Team, has discriminated against the women. Pay and travel were among other issues cited.

Hawaii became an early battleground in the WNT’s stand for equality in December 2015. The more this plays out the clearer it becomes that Aloha Stadium got caught in the middle of two disparate forces — an arrogant, discriminatory USSF and a WNT that began growing tired of second-class treatment and lip service.

The USSF has long been tone deaf or just plain dismissive of the WNT’s pleas for equality on so many levels, and one of them was being pushed to repeatedly play on artificial turf to an extent the MNT was spared.

The 25-page complaint Friday did not specifically refer to the December 2015 refusal of WNT to take the pitch against Trinidad and Tobago but noted, “The USSF has complete control over the surfaces i.e. grass, grass overlay or artificial surfaces such as turf, on which the national teams play their home matches. Playing on inferior surfaces, including artificial turf, can lead to significant career-threatening injuries. Such surfaces also affect fundamentals of the games, including the way the ball bounces and how the ball can be struck.”

The suit detailed, “For example, from Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 31, 2017, the WNT played 62 domestic matches, 13 (21 percent) of which were played on artificial surfaces. During the same period of time the MNT played 49 domestic matches, only 1 (2 percent) of which were played on an artificial surface.”

In addition, the suit also claimed, “The USSF arranged for natural grass to be installed temporarily over artificial surfaces for eight MNT domestic matches, including three venues where the USSF did not temporarily install natural grass when the WNT played in those same venues. The USSF provided a temporary natural grass overlay for the WNT only once during this same period.”

At the time of the cancellation here, a spokesman for the WNT’s Players Association told the New York Times, “I think women have made it clear, not just here, but around the world, that playing on artificial turf is just not acceptable. The women should not be subjected to playing on unsafe fields or under unsafe playing conditions. And artificial turf is unsafe.”

Let’s be clear here: The WNT, which has been more successful in recent years, deserves, at minimum, facilities, pay and travel equal to what the MNT gets. If the MNT gets its choice (grass), then the WNT’s preference should also be respected. It is basic — and overdue — fairness.

People here never misrepresented that Aloha Stadium was a built-for-football (and, at one time, baseball) facility where artificial turf has been the surface for decades. Versions of which the NFL, dozens of colleges, David Beckham and Pele have played on.

The problem in December 2015 was that the USSF callously continued to disregard the wishes and rights of the WNT and the women put their foot down. At the time, it cost fans in Hawaii a chance to see a world championship team.

Now, it may well cost the USSF much more.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.