The official kick off for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup won’t kick off until June 7, but the United States Women National Soccer Team is already fighting to win. The U.S. team is perhaps the best prepared and best lead XI out of all of the countries participating this year. They’ll enter this edition of the World Cup as the defending champions with players such as Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe. Fun fact: The United States has never finished worse than third place since the first Women’s World Cup ever, back in 1991. Chances are things are not going to look any different this year. Except they will. I’m not talking about them not winning. Of course, they have a good chance of coming out as champs this year, too. It’s just that this year, they’re a bit stronger than ever. That’s because they are not just playing for their 4th World Cup title, but for a series of demands in favor of gender equality.
@uswntSome of the players have spoken about inequality in the salaries based on gender. Female players earn $3,600 per game while male player earn $5,000, as the Washington Post reported. And that’s for doing exactly the same job…We’re talking about a team that has four Olympic gold medals, three World Cup championships. That’s three more than the male soccer team has, mind you. Oh, and the women’s national team is ranking at No. 1 entering this year’s tournament. Still, they were forced to file a lawsuit for gender discrimination.
@uswntRapinoe and fellow captains Morgan and Lloyd are now leaders in a lawsuit the entire USWNT filed against the United States Soccer Federation. All they are demanding is equal treatment and an equal pay structure as the men’s national team, for which the lawsuit alleges gender discrimination.
Though their demands start with pay, equality should extend to training, travel, marketing, and promotion, medical personnel, and support staff. These women are more than athletes: they are role models and political activists who are not afraid to speak up about social issues.
Forward Megan Rapinoe is an active supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, much like defender Ali Krieger. The pro-life laws recently passed in Alabama didn’t sit right with forward Morgan, who has since spoken out against them. When they asked goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris about this controversial bill, she answered:
I mean, it’s hard. It’s hard to see when you’re trying to create progression and progress. And then to see that, it’s just regression and we’re moving backward. We have to continue to keep working. It’s not going to be an easy road for us; it hasn’t been for generations and generations, and we’re used to it. And that’s what makes us so strong, and women strong. My wish honestly, is that more men would speak up for us, in our profession, too.
These brave women are definitely outstanding on and off the field.
The US will be defending their title this year, and though they are usually one of the strongest teams, they have been unsuccessful in winning two World Cup championships consecutively. If they do end up winning, though, that would out them at the same number of World Cup wins as the male version of the German and Italian soccer team in terms of World Cup wins. One this is for sure: this team is as solid as it gets.
@uswntRead more:
A Win For Immigration: How Latinos Push America Forward In The U-20 World Cup
The Soccer Player Who Choked At A Football Cup And Gave Name To A Syndrome
