The dispute over equal pay involving the USWNT and the U.S. Soccer Federation has "already led to a federal wage-discrimination complaint" against the USSF and a federation lawsuit against the team, but the issue "is complicated," according to Sam Borden of the N.Y. TIMES. It is "hard not to wonder if the vitriol over the subject" might have been "tempered if it had not burst into view" with the announcement that U.S. Soccer was suing the team only months after it won the World Cup. With a few notable exceptions, the women’s players have said many times that their fight "has nothing to do with the men’s team," but it "can be difficult to separate the pieces of the issue." USMNT MF Alejandro Bedoya said that he "absolutely agreed that women’s players should receive the same per diems and appearance fees." But he "questioned the larger argument about salaries." He said, "The equal pay for equal play argument is flawed, and it’s flawed because sports business is atypical. We’re not talking about a man and a woman doing the same work at a law firm. ... In the sports world, the marketing, the advertising, the media sponsorships -- it’s very lopsided towards the men at this point. It just is. As that changes, other things should change too, but right now that’s the reality.” USWNT MF Carli Lloyd countered that argument, saying, “We’ve won World Cups, we’ve won Olympics. Are the sponsors coming in and signing with U.S. Soccer because we’re successful? It goes hand in hand. The men, obviously, have improved and have done well over the years. But we’re winning." She added, “We’re like America’s female Dream Team. Everybody loves us" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/12).
