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SPORTS Thursday 19 May 2022
U.,S. Soccer equalizes pay in milestone with women, men

By ANNE M. PETERSON and have compensation for a
RONALD BLUM player who has been un-
AP Sports Writers der contract to increase
The U.S. Soccer Federation 34% from 2018 to this year,
reached milestone agree- from $245,000 to $327,000.
ments to pay its men’s and The 2023-28 average annu-
women’s teams equally, al pay would be $450,000
making the American na- for a player making all ros-
tional governing body the ters, with the possibility of
first in the sport to prom- doubling the figure in World
ise both sexes matching Cup years depending on
money. The federation on results. The federation pre-
Wednesday announced viously based bonuses on
separate collective bar- payments from FIFA, which
gaining agreements earmarked $400 million
through December 2028 for the 2018 men’s tourna-
with the unions for both na- ment, including $38 mil-
tional teams, ending years lion to champion France,
of often acrimonious ne- and $30 million for the 2019
gotiations. The deals grew women’s tournament, in-
partly out of a push by Former members and members of the U.S. Women’s National soccer team, from left, Briana Scurry, cluding $4 million to the
players on the more suc- Margaret ‘Midge’ Purce, Kelley O’Hara, Julie Foudy, and Cindy Parlow Cone, President of U.S. champion United States.
cessful women’s team, in- Soccer, pose for a photo with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., before an event to celebrate FIFA has increased the total
cluding stars like Alex Mor- Equal Pay Day and Women’s History Month in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, March to $440 million for the 2022
gan and Megan Rapinoe, 15, 2022, in Washington. men’s World Cup, and its
who were at the forefront Associated Press president, Gianni Infantino,
of the gender equity fight told me that you don’t get on the federation reaching men’s World Cup later this has proposed that FIFA
while leading the team rewarded for doing what labor contracts that equal- year and next year’s Wom- double the women’s prize
to a Women’s World Cup you’re supposed to do and ized pay and bonuses be- en’s World Cup, as well as money to $60 million for the
championship in 2019. The paying men and women tween the two teams. for the 2026 and 2027 tour- 2023 Women’s World Cup,
struggle became so much equally is what you’re sup- Perhaps the biggest sticking naments. in which FIFA has increased
a part of the team’s story posed to do,” U.S. forward point was World Cup prize Each player will get match- the number of teams to 32.
that chants of “Equal pay! Margaret Purce said. “So money, which is based on ing game appearance For the current World Cup
Equal pay!” rose from the I’m not giving out any gold how far a team advances fees in what the USSF said cycles, the USSF will pool
crowd as U.S. players cel- stars, but I’m grateful for this in the tournament. While makes it the first federation the FIFA funds, taking 10%
ebrated winning the title in accomplishment and for all the U.S. women have been to pool FIFA prize money in off the top and then split-
France. the people who came to- successful on the interna- this manner. ting the rest equally among
Morgan and Rapinoe gether to make it so.” tional stage with back-to- “We saw it as an opportu- 46 players 23 players on
could still be beneficiaries The men have been play- back World Cup titles, dif- nity, an opportunity to be the roster of each team.
of the deal, though the ing under the terms of a ferences in FIFA prize mon- leaders in this front and join For the 2026-27 cycle, the
next Women’s World Cup CBA that expired in De- ey meant they took home in with the women’s side USSF cut increases to 20%
is in 2023 and the make- cember 2018. The women’s far less than the men’s win- and U.S. Soccer. So we’re before the split. After miss-
up of the team will have CBA expired at the end of ners. American women re- just excited that this is how ing the 2018 World Cup, the
changed by then. March, but talks continued ceived a $110,000 bonus we were able to get the men qualified for this year’s
“I feel a lot of pride for the after the federation and for winning the 2019 World deal done,” said Walker World Cup in Qatar starting
girls who are going to see the players agreed to set- Cup; the U.S. men would Zimmerman, a defender in November. The women’s
this growing up, and rec- tle a gender discrimination have received $407,000 who is part of the U.S. Na- team will seek to qualify
ognize their value rather lawsuit brought by some had they won in 2018. tional Team Players Associ- this year for the 2023 World
than having to fight for it. of the players in 2019. The The unions agreed to pool ation leadership group. Cup, cohosted by Australia
However, my dad always settlement was contingent FIFA’s payments for the Women’s union projections and New Zealand. q

Defending champion Ruud wins, 3

seeds go out at Geneva Open

GENEVA (AP) — Defending quet. seeded Nikoloz Basilashvili.
champion Casper Ruud Third-seeded Denis Seventh-seeded Federico
eased into the quarterfi- Shapovalov also lost his Delbonis fell to a 1-6, 7-5,
nals of the Geneva Open opening match, 6-4, 6-7 7-5 loss against Thanasi
on Wednesday, while three (2), 6-3 against Ilya Ivashka. Kokkinakis, who will face
seeded players went out in In a match with few break Ruud in the quarterfinals
the second round. points, Ivashka saved the Thursday.
The second-seeded Ruud only one he faced against Fourth-seeded American
won 6-3, 6-1 against Benoit Shapovalov and convert- Reilly Opelka ended a
Paire to confirm his status as ed one chance in each of streak of early tournament
the favorite to retain his title the two sets he won. exits in Munich, Madrid and Casper Ruud of Norway, returns a ball to Benoit Paire, of France,
after second-ranked Daniil Ivashka will next face un- Rome by beating Austra- during their second round match, at the ATP 250 Geneva Open
Medvedev was beaten seeded Joao Sousa who lian qualifier Christopher tournament in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 18, 2022.
Tuesday by Richard Gas- won 6-4, 6-3 against fifth- O’Connell 6-3, 7-5.q Associated Press