US women’s soccer scores against soccer federation in court
Juliet Swimmer, Staff Writer
Only three months before they landed in France for the Women’s World Cup In 2019, the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) filed a gender discrimination lawsuit for inequitable pay compared to their male counterparts, Going into one of the most important tournaments a national soccer team will face with the lawsuit against their employers was incredibly courageous. If they won, a clear message would be sent to the US soccer federation that the women meant business. However, if they lost, their voices would be overshadowed by the deafening weight of failure, and their jobs were on the line.
Three months before the start of the World Cup, the team demanded $67 million in back pay, suing against unequal playing conditions. The tournament was kicked off with a 13-0 win against Thailand followed by the 3-0 victory against Chile. Some antagonists felt they were pouring it on too hard, and scoring 13 goals was disrespectful, but, with the head of the US Soccer Federation (USSF) in the stands and the world’s eyes glued to the match, the women felt they had no choice but to leave their mark. Throughout the tournament, the women showed up and battled claiming victory of England, France and Sweden, some of the best teams in the world, and ultimately made it to the final against the Netherlands. The 2-0 win secured their victory and the federation could not look away, it was clear what they were after.
After their victory in France, the women spent the next two months on a victory tour across the US, playing teams such as Ireland, Portugal and Korea. Sealing the deal with these victories, the women headed to court.
About six months later, in March of 2020, a judge ruled against the women claiming that the women were not underpaid in comparison to the men. The women were now fighting for more than their own finances, but for the future of equitable pay in male and female sports.
It wasn’t until Feb. 22, 2022 that the USWNT reached a settlement with US Soccer for $24 million, $2 million to go to a charity of choice and $22 in back pay, pay they would have got if they had been paid equitably since 2019. This fell short of the $67 million they had asked for, but was still a major win for women’s sports equality.
This high profile lawsuit ended up as a win for womens sports but represents the hurdles left to face. Women athletes make up 40 percent of the NCAA athletes and see only 10 percent of television coverage. The win for the national team is a great achievement in breaking down sports inequities and progressing toward an equal future.
The US Women’s National Soccer team celebrates after their victory in the 2019 World Cup in Lyon, France.