USMNT Stands With USWNT After U.S. Soccer Letter Claims Women Have Made More
The United States national men's team stands with the USWNT on its equal pay lawsuit by releasing a statement in response to U.S. Soccer stating on Monday that the World Cup champion women's national team has been paid more than the men's team.
U.S. Soccer released the figures as the two parties move toward mediating a lawsuit in which USWNT players accused the federation of "institutionalized gender discrimination."
Through a spokeswoman for players involved, the USWNT called the letter, which was released Monday by U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro, a sad attempt to quell support. The men's team also rebutted the letter and called one stat "false accounting" and singled out Cordeiro's solution to having fans do more.
"The only solution Mr. Cordeiro proposes is for fans to buy more tickets and watch more games on television," the USMNT statement read. "He conceals the fact that the money will not go to USWNT players when sponsors pay the Federation to support the USWNT, fans buy tickets to USWNT games at ever-increasing ticket prices, and television companies pay more when more fans watch USWNT games. That is neither fair nor equitable."
The USWNT filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the federation on March 8, International Women's Day, in a fight over pay equity and working conditions. In its response to the suit, U.S. Soccer said it obeyed the law and did not discriminate against female players. The two parties agreed to mediation in June.
