“The emblem of a competition is an important step on the road to the first game,” said FIFA President Sepp Blatter in a message that was recorded for the launch event.

As press conferences go, the announcement of Canada’s 2015 Women’s World Cup host cities was about as anticlimactic as they get.

But, despite all of the scandals at FIFA heaquarters in Zurich and at CONCACAF, it would have been difficult for the Canadian Soccer Association to add its voice to England’s calls for a delay. Because the ballot was held in secret, the CSA will never need to tell us if it was one of those 17 nations that called for the delay. But, we know that at no time did Canada add its voice to England’s in challenging the Blatter coronation.

That’s the rub. The crackdown on corruption in FIFA can’t be taken seriously until FIFA allows someone else to do it. Damaseb spoke of bringing in some top legal minds from around the world as the investigation continues; he praised the fact that Robert Torres, who sat on the disciplinary committee, is the Chief Supreme Court Justice of Guam in his day job. But, Damaseb stressed that, no matter what legal opinions it gets, FIFA will always control the investigation. Just as FIFA forbids political and/or judicial interference in the matters of national associations, it doesn’t want to be judged by, well, a judge.

“We are not in a crisis,” said Blatter in a press conference Monday from FIFA headquarters. “We are having some difficulties.” Blatter spent the better part of 45 minutes ducking and dodging questions from journalists. When two-part questions were asked, he insisted on answering only one. When questions were asked about FIFA’s reputation, he spoke of gambling in the game. When asked about reforming FIFA, he spoke of zero tolerance for abuse of officials on the field.

The status quo will remain for the 2014 World Cup. The allocation of slots by regions will remain exactly the same as they were for the 2010 World Cup, despite hopes coming out of CONCACAF that this confederation would be bumped from three spots and a playoff berth to four clear slots.

A Canadian Soccer Association delegation has delivered the bid book for the 2015 Women's World Cup to FIFA headquarters in Zurich. The delegation, which included federal Minister of State (Sport) Gary Lunn, Canadian Soccer Association President Dominic Maestracci, Vice-President Victor Montagliani and General Secretary Peter Montopoli, met with FIFA officials Tuesday, including President Sepp Blatter.

But, if past history is an indication, MLS and other North American leagues need not worry about anything Blatter has to say about restricting domestic leagues.