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The rule of thumb on these pages is to genuflect at the altar of professional men’s sport.

This June and early July, it will be the women’s time to shine – women playing soccer for the love of the game, a world removed from the stench of the FIFA bribery scandal unveiled by U.S. investigators this week. As one wag put it, cheer the players, boo the FIFA blazers, during the Canadian World Cup.

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For four weeks beginning June 6, the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be centre stage in Ottawa and five other Canadian cities. Twenty-four teams, including Canada and the United States, will compete for the World Cup trophy.

Already, teams are starting to arrive in Ottawa to begin pre-match preparations, beginning with the first wave of Thai players on Thursday afternoon. Norway meets Thailand in the first local match of the tournament, at Lansdowne Park on June 7.

While every nation harbours a vision of winning it all, the Thai team truly is happy just to be here, in the nation’s first women’s World Cup tournament.