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SPORTS Wednesday 31 July 2019
U.S. Soccer: Women's team has made more than the men

By ANNE M. PETERSON Women's National Team
AP Sports Writer Players Association to help
Facing mounting public close the pay gap. The
pressure in a fight over eq- company took out a full-
uitable pay, U.S. Soccer page ad in The New York
said the World Cup cham- Times urging U.S. Soccer to
pion women's national "be on the right side of his-
team has been paid more tory."
than the men's team. Cordeiro said in the letter
According to a letter re- that the federation decid-
leased Monday by U.S. ed to focus on winning the
Soccer President Carlos World Cup rather than de-
Cordeiro, the federation bate the lawsuit.
paid out $34.1 million in sal- "Now that the Women's
ary and game bonuses to World Cup is behind us, a
the women between 2010 common understanding
and 2018 as opposed to of key facts will also help
$26.4 million paid to the advance our shared work
men. The total does not in- to grow women's soccer
clude the value of benefits in America as well as the
received only by the wom- larger national discussion
en, like health care. about equality," he wrote.
The federation released the Levinson maintains the fig-
figures as it moves toward ures provided by U.S. Soc-
mediating a federal law- cer are misleading.
suit in which players for the "The USSF fact sheet is not
women's team accused a "clarification." It is a ruse.
U.S. Soccer of "institutional- Here is what they cannot
ized gender discrimination" In this July 7, 2019 file photo United States' team celebrates with the trophy after winning the deny. For every game a
that includes inequitable Women's World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in man plays on the MNT he
compensation when com- Decines, outside Lyon, France. makes a higher base sal-
pared to players on the ary payment than a wom-
men's team. admitted that it does not have won back-to-back month. After the United an on the WNT. For every
Comparing compensation pay the women equally World Cup titles. States defeated the Neth- comparable win or tie, his
between the two teams is and that it does not be- The collective bargaining erlands in Lyon, France, bonus is higher. That is the
difficult because the pay lieve the women even de- agreements are not made the crowd at the stadium very definition of gender
structure is based on differ- serve to be paid equally," public, and U.S. Soccer did chanted "Equal Pay! Equal discrimination," Levinson
ent collective bargaining Levinson said. "This is why not provide details about Pay!" said in a statement. "For the
agreements. For example, they use words like "fair and the men's bonus structure. During the World Cup, USSF to believe otherwise,
players for the women's equitable," not equal in de- USSF also says the men's more than 50 members of is disheartening but it only
team have a base salary scribing pay." team generates more rev- Congress also sent a letter increases our determina-
while the men are paid pri- Cordeiro said the federa- enue. The women's team to U.S. Soccer "to express tion to obtain true equal
marily based on matches tion recently conducted generated $101.3 million our disappointment of the pay."q
and performance. an extensive analysis of its over the course of 238 inequities in pay, public-
"In the weeks ahead, we'll finances over the past 10 games between 2009 and ity, and investment that
focus on preparing for me- years, seeking to clear up 2019 while the men gener- the U.S. Women's National
diation and resolving this what he called confusion ated $185.7 million over 191 Team (USWNT) has contin-
matter in the best interests based on the pay struc- games, according to the ued to face."
of the WNT and U.S. Soccer. tures for both teams. federation. Sen. Joe Manchin of West
I want you to know that U.S. U.S. Soccer said it pays The analysis did not include Virginia introduced a bill
Soccer is committed to do- the women's national prize money for tourna- that would withhold fed-
ing right by our players, and team players a base sal- ments like the World Cup, eral funding that would go
I've been encouraged by ary of $100,000 per year, because those funds are toward hosting the 2026
the public comments from and an additional $67,500 determined by FIFA, soc- men's World Cup until the
players expressing their de- to $72,500 per player as cer's international govern- issue was resolved.
sire for a cooperative ap- a salary for playing in the ing body, and not U.S. Soc- Procter & Gamble, a spon-
proach. I remain optimistic National Women's Soccer cer. sor of the team, said this
that we can find common League. The women also The letter comes amid in- month it would donate
ground," Cordeiro wrote. have health care benefits creasing pressure on U.S. $529,000 — $23,000 for
"Together, I believe we can and a retirement plan. Soccer in the wake of each of the 23 players on
get this done." Players on the men's nation- the women's victory at the U.S. team that won the
Molly Levinson, a spokes- al team are paid by train- the World Cup earlier this World Cup — to the U.S.
woman for the players in ing camp call-ups, game
matters involving the law- appearances and through
suit, called the letter "a sad performance bonuses. The
attempt by USSF to quell federation acknowledged
the overwhelming tide of the men have the abil-
support the USWNT has re- ity to earn higher bonuses
ceived from everyone from than the women. The men's
fans to sponsors to the Unit- team did not make the
ed States Congress. field for the 2018 World Cup /arubatoday/
"The USSF has repeatedly in Russia, while the women