Members of the U.S. women's national soccer team and
the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) "reached a tentative
agreement yesterday that will allow the players to proceed
with their fall indoor tour of major U.S. arenas in exchange
for participating in five USSF-arranged outdoor matches" in
the U.S. this year, according to Amy Shipley of the
WASHINGTON POST. The deal leaves the players' 12-city tour,
"intact" and "represents a major victory for the players,
who essentially broke away from the USSF to arrange the tour
with SFX Sports Group." The USSF "dropped its plans to
send" the team on a tour of Egypt, South Africa and
Australia early in the negotiations "because those dates
conflicted with the indoor tour." The USSF had considered
legal action against the team, arguing that the indoor tour
was really "a national team event because so many national
team players were involved." One USSF source said that
legal action was discussed to "protect the USSF's sponsors."
As part of the deal, the players will wear national team
uniforms for tour games, bearing the Nike logo. The games
also "will be sanctioned by the USSF, which will not have a
financial interest in the tour." SFX Sports Group VP Lee
Berke said that IMG, the USSF's licensing agent, will be
involved in sponsor arrangements for the indoor tour. The
players and USSF "still have to work out a uniform player
agreement, which will provide the financial and marketing
terms for the 2000 Olympics" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/29).
