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USSF Says It Paid Women's Team More Than Men Ahead Of Mediation

U.S. Soccer has released a letter from President Carlos Cordeiro saying that it has paid the USWNT "more than the men’s team in recent years, a move that comes ahead of mediation in the women’s team’s pay-equity lawsuit against its employer," according to Rachel Bachman of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The pay analysis likely will "add fuel to a complex debate about how the federation has compensated its championship women’s national team." Cordeiro in the letter said that the federation’s analysis showed that U.S. Soccer paid female players $34.1M in "salaries and game bonuses" from '10-18, while paying the men $26.4M during the same period. Women’s team members "receive salaries plus bonuses, while the men receive only bonuses, though larger ones," according to the letter. Cordeiro wrote that the compensation structure for the two teams is "different because of their respective collective-bargaining agreements and not because of gender." Molly Levinson, a spokesperson for the players, called the letter a "sad attempt by USSF to quell the overwhelming tide of support the USWNT has received from everyone from fans to sponsors to the United States Congress.” Levinson said the federation’s numbers "inappropriately include the NWSL salaries of the players to inflate the women’s players compensation" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/30).

NUMBERS GAME: The AP's Anne Peterson noted the total of the figures provided by the USSF "does not include the value of benefits received only by the women, like health care." Comparing compensation between the two teams is "difficult because the pay structure is based" on different CBAs (AP, 7/29). ESPN.com's Graham Hays noted Cordeiro's letter "stipulated that the totals do not include money received by U.S. Soccer from FIFA for World Cup bonuses." With that money included, federation analysis said that the men earned $41M "for the same nine-year period," compared to $39.7M for the women. U.S. Soccer "contends that it should not be held responsible for the inequity in FIFA prize money." Cordeiro said that he "continues to push FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the sport's global governing body to increase prize compensation for the signature event in the women's game." The Wall Street Journal reported last month that women's games "produced more total revenue than men's games" in the three years after the U.S. won the '15 Women's World Cup. U.S. Soccer countered yesterday that from '09-19, the women's game "produced a net loss -- ticket sales minus expenses -- of $27,544,953 compared to $3,130,980 for the men" (ESPN.com, 7/29).

PREPPING FOR BATTLE: In N.Y., Andrew Das writes U.S. Soccer is "stepping squarely into the debate about equal pay." Cordeiro said that U.S. Soccer had "made 'a deliberate decision' not to debate the facts of the lawsuit or the broader equal pay fight while the women’s team was preparing to defend its world championship." However, his letter "seemed to be an acknowledgment that recent events -- including pressure from corporations and at least one U.S. Soccer sponsor, as well as efforts in Congress that could imperil funding to prepare" for the '26 World Cup had "forced the federation to engage" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/30).

BLAST FROM THE PAST: THE ATHLETIC's Daniel Kaplan noted former USWNT GHope Solo yesterday in court filings "called for legal sanctions against her former teammates and their counsel for rejecting her bid to be part of 'equal-pay' mediation." Solo last year "filed a lawsuit against U.S. Soccer in Northern California federal court, alleging underpayment compared to male players. Solo on July 22 asked the court that she "be part of" the USWNT's mediation, contending the team members "were likely to 'accede' to the federation" (THEATHLETIC.com, 7/29). CBSSPORTS.com's Pete Blackburn noted the USWNT on Friday through Alex Morgan "rebuffed Solo's pitch and did so with rather strong emphasis." It "certainly seems as though Solo's bid and the claim that the USWNT isn't tough enough to survive mediation was not received well by Morgan and her fellow USWNT members." It also "certainly seems as though this response was crafted to serve as a strong message countering the argument" (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/29).

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