US Women's National Soccer Team

Megan Rapinoe called on FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro to address the imbalance in pay between men and women in football after helping the USWNT win their fourth FIFA Women's World Cup on Sunday. 

Rapinoe spoke after she scored in the USA's 2-0 win over Netherlands in Lyon to become repeat world champions.

Per ESPN's Graham Hays, she said:

"Everyone is kind of asking what's next and what we want to come of all of this. It's to stop having the conversation about equal pay and are we worth it and should we and the investment piece. What are we going to do about it? Gianni, what are we going to do about it? Carlos, what are we going to do about it?

"It's time to sit down with everyone and really get to work. This game has done so much for all of us. We've put so much into it. I think it's a testament to the quality on the field, and I don't think everything else is matching that. So how do we get everything to match up and continue to push this forward. Because I think at this point the argument we have been having is null and void."

"It was the best football we have ever seen"—@hopesolo 👏 https://t.co/c4KslVtect

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 7, 2019

Rapinoe is one of 28 USWNT players who filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against U.S. Soccer prior to the tournament, and their representatives will take part in mediation with the federation now that the World Cup has concluded.

Following Sunday's game, the crowd at the Stade de Lyon made their feelings known to Infantino on the matter, per Equalizer Soccer's Jeff Kassouf:

Gianni Infantino getting booed as he walks out on stage -- much as FIFA's staff were booed in 2015 -- and a very clear "EQUAL PAY" chant breaks out among this sellout crowd of 57,900, most of whom have stuck around. #FIFAWWC

— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) July 7, 2019

Per Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal, Rapinoe welcomed the crowd's reaction:

Rapinoe on the "Equal Pay!" chants and the booing of Infantino: "A little public shame never hurt anybody."

— Joshua Robinson (@JoshRobinson23) July 7, 2019

For this year's World Cup, FIFA awarded $30 million in prize money, compared with the $400 million purse at the men's World Cup in 2018.

Infantino has said he intends to increase the women's prize money by a further $30 million for the 2023 edition, but the prize money for the 2022 men's World Cup is expected to rise by $40 million.

As for U.S. Soccer, as Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl relayed, the United States men's national team are earning more despite generating less revenue than their female counterparts over a three-year period:

The secondary ticket market for #USA-#FRA is exploding. Women's World Cup TV audiences around the world are setting unexpected records. USWNT revenues exceeded USMNT's for 3 years. The message is clear for FIFA and national federations:

Pay. The. Women.pic.twitter.com/MrpQ6h1pWE

— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) June 26, 2019

The USWNT have enjoyed much more historic success than the USMNT, too.

The latter, who lost 1-0 to Mexico on Sunday in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final, have won that tournament on six occasions.

The former have won the CONCACAF Women's Championship eight times, on top of four World Cups and four Olympic gold medals, among many other honours.

They set a record at this year's tournament, too:

2️⃣6️⃣

No team has scored more goals at the #FIFAWWC than the #USA this year 😤 pic.twitter.com/Gr2uQoVtLN

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 7, 2019

Per Hays, shortly after they sealed their win over the Dutch on Sunday, the U.S. women's players association issued a statement urging U.S. Soccer to end the pay "disparity once and for all," offering a reminder that the women's team draws in larger revenues and TV viewership than the men's team.

"At this moment of tremendous pride for America," the statement read, "the sad equation remains all too clear, and Americans won't stand for it anymore."

Rose Lavelle has declared herself fit for the United States' 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final against the Netherlands on Sunday at the Stade de Lyon. 

The 24-year-old was substituted on 65 minutes against England in the semi-finals with a hamstring injury. 

It was feared the midfielder may be out of action for the final after starting five of the six U.S. games at France 2019, netting two goals.

However, Lavelle has confirmed she will be fit. 

Per Seth Vertelney of Goal, the substitution against the Lionesses was mainly precautionary, especially as she missed almost a year with a hamstring problem in 2017 and 2018:

"I'm good, I'm ready to go. I just didn't want to be a liability on the field because I do know with muscles anything can happen, so it was a little bit more precautionary. It's something that I'm always paranoid about but I'll be fine. I can get over it."

The Stars and Stripes are strong favourites to win a fourth World Cup in their fifth final appearance on Sunday against a Dutch side making their debut at this stage of the competition.

The Netherlands are reigning European champions and have got past Sweden, Italy and Japan in the knockout stages.

But the U.S. have lived up to their billing as the top-ranked side in the world. They followed their 13-0 thrashing of Thailand in their group-stage opener with a 3-0 win over Chile and 2-0 victory against Sweden to set a World Cup record:

Another record for #USA 💪

(➡️ @POWERADE) https://t.co/TkJXjBsGxC

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 20, 2019

And Jill Ellis' team have navigated a tough run in the knockout rounds by beating Spain, France and England 2-1 each time.

Lavelle has been largely superb in midfield, controlling games and terrorising opposition defenders:

Rose Lavelle dribbles in a way that is SO annoying for opposing center midfielders to defend. She protects the ball in a way that allows her to go multiple directions...literally a midfield’s defensive nightmare

— Yael Averbuch West (@Yael_Averbuch) June 28, 2019

ROSE LAVELLE. STOP IT. pic.twitter.com/uLMGLxiHTZ

— Henry Bushnell (@HenryBushnell) July 2, 2019

The U.S. have a fantastic squad, but Lavelle would have been a big loss, and it is a boost for the defending champions that she is set to be fit for the final. 

The United States became the first team to qualify for the final of the 2019 Women's World Cup on Tuesday, beating England 2-1. Alex Morgan scored the winner, celebrating her 30th birthday in style.

The defending champions took a deserved lead through Christen Press after a flying start, but Ellen White hit back, tying things up after 19 minutes. Morgan restored the lead just past the half-hour mark with a strong header. White had a goal ruled out by the video assistant for a narrow offside call after the break, and Stephanie Houghton missed a penalty.

The Stars and Stripes are the defending champions and most successful team in the competition, with three titles already. They could become the second team ever to win back-to-back world titles, after Germany did so in 2003 and 2007.

The USA will face Sweden or European champions the Netherlands in the final. Those teams will be in action on Wednesday.

The Stars and Stripes made a bright start to the contest, and backup England goalkeeper Carly Telford was put to work early, as Rose Lavelle cut inside before blasting a shot right at her.

The defending champions were all over England, and it yielded results after just 10 minutes. Lucy Bronze completely missed Press in the box, and she nodded home a sharp cross from Kelley O'Hara.

Sportswriter Ryan Bailey was not impressed by the defending of the Lionesses:

That was coming. England looking very exposed in the air at the back.

Four white shirts in the six-yard box for Press' header #ENGUSA

— Ryan Bailey (@RyanJayBailey) July 2, 2019

But England started seeing more of the ball, and while chances were rare, their momentum grew. Lavelle blasted a shot over the bar before White bagged the equaliser on the other end of the pitch, courtesy of an excellent pass from Beth Mead.

Both goals were well taken, according to sports writer Steve O'Rourke:

https://twitter.com/steveohrourke/status/1146136658095554561

Telford made a good save to deny Lavelle, who proved a real nuisance for the English defence, and Becky Sauerbrunn nearly put the ball into her own net when her poor clearance only just went wide.

The Americans regained the lead just past the half-hour mark when Lindsey Horan spotted the smart run from Morgan, and the forward headed home from close range.

She took no prisoners with her celebration:

Scoring goals and sipping tea on her 30th birthday.

Alex Morgan just flexed on the entire world pic.twitter.com/WDqiuGLM6J

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 2, 2019

Alyssa Naeher made her first big save to deny Keira Walsh, before an entertaining first half came to a close.

White had the first chance of the second half, piking a shot straight at Naeher, and Morgan perhaps should have turned a gift from Telford into a second goal, shooting wide after the goalkeeper's horrendous pass.

White thought she had equalised yet again after 67 minutes, but VAR intervened, ruling the goal out for offside: 

SWEET SWEET VAR I NEVER DOUBTED YOU

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) July 2, 2019

Houghton spurned a golden opportunity to tie things up after 84 minutes, when VAR awarded England a penalty after White was clipped just as she was about to connect with a cross. Naeher guessed the right way, however, making a key save.

Millie Bright was sent off for a second bookable offence late on, making the USA's bid to see out the contest a lot easier.

      

What's Next?

The third-place play-off will take place on Saturday, while the final will be on Sunday.

The controversy over Megan Rapinoe's omission lasted 10 minutes in Tuesday's Women's World Cup semifinal against England.

United States women's national team coach Jill Ellis raised eyebrows when she started Christen Press at left wing ahead of Rapinoe. On cue, Press scored the USWNT's opening goal.

Press starts in place for Rapinoe

Picking up where the legend left off last game 🔥

(via @FOXSoccer)pic.twitter.com/vao24tkcv3

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 2, 2019

Rapinoe has been on fire for the U.S., scoring four goals between the round of 16 and quarterfinals. The United States' depth was on display in the team's hot start to the match as Rapinoe watched from the bench.

Ellen White quickly leveled the score, though, tying the match at one with a goal in the 19th minute.

The USWNT is looking for its fourth World Cup title in France.

Former United States soccer star Sydney Leroux Dwyer announced the birth of her daughter Roux James on Twitter on Friday.

Roux James 💕 our sweet girl came into the world kicking and screaming (just like her parents) at 3:42 am. Welcome to the world baby girl. pic.twitter.com/DnxuxNt8Ql

— Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) June 28, 2019

Leroux Dwyer posted the following photo of the newborn on social media:

This is my chance, to share my world with you.... and I know you’re gonna like it 🌎
“Roux James Dwyer” ❤️ pic.twitter.com/lVLEGNeS77

— Dom Dwyer (@Ddwyer14) June 28, 2019

Her husband, Orlando City and United States player Dom Dwyer, also posted images of the baby, alongside her mother and the couple's oldest son, Cassius, per Yahoo.

The soccer stars married in 2015, with Leroux Dwyer going on to be part of the United States team that won the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. The 29-year-old has not represented the national side since 2017, but she was still a regular for Orlando Pride in the 2018 NWSL season.

Per BBC Sport, she was involved in pre-season training with the team in March while five-and-a-half months pregnant.

Leroux Dwyer shared the following post of herself watching the U.S. women's national team's win over France in the World Cup quarter-final on Friday:

LFG!!!! @mPinoe. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/i4Md1jZzdT

— Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) June 28, 2019

Dwyer has played for the United States on four occasions, although he wasn't selected to be part of the squad for the ongoing Gold Cup. He's scored four goals in 13 Major League Soccer games so far this season.

Defending champions the United States have reached the semi-finals of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, beating hosts France 2-1 on Friday.

Megan Rapinoe scored twice before Wendie Renard got one back for Les Bleues as the U.S. advanced to a last-four tie against England.

France conceded an opening goal on home soil for the first time in 2019 when Rapinoe arrowed a free-kick past Sarah Bouhaddi in the fifth minute.

While it was a fine strike, Bouhaddi might have got across to it quicker:

DREAM START FOR THE USA! 🇺🇸@mpinoe's free kick gets past everyone as the @USWNT takes an early lead once again! #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/K5oHYnCyvD

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 28, 2019

The U.S. were causing plenty of problems early on by going direct. Rapinoe and the rest were taking on shots whenever they found space in and around the box, while the pace of Alex Morgan had Renard and the France defence on their heels.

French nerves soon settled, though, once the U.S. failed to add to their lead. The majority of the opening half saw Les Bleues do the running, promoting a stubborn rearguard action from the visitors.

In particular, full-back Crystal Dunn was in exceptional form to subdue Kadidiatou Diani. The lively winger had been France's biggest threat at these finals, but Dunn was tracking her movement well and not falling for any of her tricks.

45 mins to go! Curious if France move Diani centrally or swap wings bc @crysdunn_19 has been very good this first half! 👏🏾👏🏾lets gooooooo! @USWNT

— Maurice Edu (@MauriceEdu) June 28, 2019

France had been stunned by a quick goal in the opening half and nearly fell victim to the same thing as the sound of the whistle that signalled the restart still echoed in the air:

#USA made a great start to the first half - and almost made an even quicker start to the second.

Straight from kick-off!

📺 Watch LIVE on @BBCOne!
Also here: https://t.co/A52qwQxVQ0#FIFAWWC#ChangeTheGame pic.twitter.com/iEkeshDKZz

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 28, 2019

Sam Mewis' involvement in the move summed up her industry and ingenuity throughout the game. The 26-year-old was the driving force for her team, knitting together the midfield and forward lines with breaks from deep.

France needed to show similar endeavour, and it was Amandine Henry who showed more than most. She began to roam beyond midfield and proved her threat with shots from the edge of the area.

Henry needed more help from those ahead of her, but with Diani still struggling, Eugenie Le Sommer shot into the side netting on the turn.

Despite the miss, France were piling on the pressure and making the U.S. look uncharacteristically shaky. It was against the run of play then when Rapinoe made it 2-0 on 65 minutes, finishing well after being found by a smart pull-back from the impressive Tobin Heath.

Megan Rapinoe scores again! #USAvFRA

She is the first player to score 2 or more goals in back-to-back WWC appearances since Marta in 2007. pic.twitter.com/sV7533Ix9z

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 28, 2019

Even after seeing the deficit doubled, Les Bleues didn't give up hope. A necessary change saw Delphine Cascarino come off the bench to try her luck against Dunn, and the Lyon forward immediately started finding some joy.

Cascarino helped France keep the pressure on, and the reward came when Renard made amends for more than a few defensive lapses by heading in from a free-kick.

France thought they were owed a penalty soon after when Kelley O'Hara appeared to block an Amel Majri cross with her hand. Nothing was given despite furious appeals from the home side.

Ultimately, the U.S. had taught France a painful lesson in the value of clinical efficiency in front of goal.

   

What's Next?

The United States will face the Lionesses in Lyon on Tuesday.

The Women's World Cup continues Friday with the most anticipated matchup of the tournament so far. 

France and the United States will battle it out in Parc des Princes in Paris with a trip to the semifinals on the line. The quarterfinal match is the only game of the day, keeping the full focus on two of the best teams in the world.

Although it's a matchup worthy of the tournament's final, only one team will advance to the next round.

                

Quarterfinal Schedule

June 27: England def. Norway, 3-0

June 28: United States vs. France at 3 p.m. ET

June 29: Italy vs. Netherlands at 9 a.m. ET

June 29: Germany vs. Sweden at 12:30 p.m. ET

            

United States vs. France Preview

Although this is only a quarterfinal, no one is overlooking this match. In fact, the Americans are hoping to have as much fanfare as possible.

"I hope it's huge and crazy," U.S. forward Megan Rapinoe said, per Nancy Armour of USA Today. "That's what it should be. This is the best game, this is what everybody wanted. I think we want it. It seems like they're up for it. ... These are the biggest games you dream about as a kid."

It's quite a statement from someone who won the 2015 World Cup.

Manager Jill Ellis also called the match "a magnificent showcase piece for our sport." 

The United States is ready for the moment, and the team has enough talent to advance.

Alex Morgan hasn't even been at full strength in this tournament and still has five goals, while players like Rapinoe, Tobin Heath and Carli Lloyd are as dangerous on the attack as anyone in the world.

Meanwhile, Ellis has some tough choices to make in the midfield, with Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis all capable of making huge plays.

The biggest question mark comes on defense, with centre-back Becky Sauerbrunn and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher at fault for Spain's goal in the previous match—although it was the first the U.S. conceded in the tournament. 

Former U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo has some doubts about the team's ability to keep out France:

Hope Solo asked if she's now more confident than before the Spain game that USA can beat France on Friday: "No. France attack in numbers. Once again it will be quite a challenge for the US defense and the goalkeeper." #USWNT #FIFAWWC

— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) June 24, 2019

Amandine Henry showed her finishing ability in the clutch in the round of 16 against Brazil:

AMANDINE HENRY! 2-1 FRANCE! 🇫🇷

Big players come through in big moments, and France's captain just gave the hosts the lead in extra time. #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/EzYzdSnsrO

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2019

The French have scoring options in Eugenie Le Sommer and Valerie Gauvin up front, while defender Wendie Renard is a threat at set pieces. These players can put a lot of pressure on the United States defense, just like in the January friendly when France earned a 3-1 victory.

Playing in front of their home fans will give France a bigger boost on Friday too.

However, the difference could come down to the United States' past success. Many of the players on the pitch have already won the World Cup, with some also winning Olympic gold medals.

The experience and added confidence could be just enough to put Team USA over the top.

Prediction: United States 2, France 1

The United States Soccer Federation and the 28 USWNT players suing the federation over pay discrimination have agreed to undergo a mediation process, according to Rachel Bachman of the Wall Street Journal and Andrew Das and Kevin Draper of the New York Times.

Per the NYT report: "The mediation is to begin as soon as possible after the women complete play in the Women's World Cup, currently underway in France. The agreement may be the first sign that the long-running dispute between the players and the federation can be resolved outside federal court."

The players, including Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, have also accused the federation of "discrimination related to the players' medical treatment, their working conditions and even the surface they play on during matches," and they are requesting wages more in line with the men's national team.

The players' lawsuit broke down the gulf in pay between the USWNT and USMNT:

"A comparison of the WNT and MNT pay shows that if each team played 20 friendlies in a year and each team won all twenty friendlies, female WNT players would earn a maximum of $99,000 or $4,950 per game, while similarly situated male MNT players would earn an average of $263,320 or $13,166 per game against the various levels of competition they would face. A 20-game winning top tier WNT player would earn only 38 percent of the compensation of a similarly situated MNT player."

Additionally, "The pay for advancement through the rounds of the World Cup was so skewed that, in 2014, the USSF provided the MNT with performance bonuses totaling $5,375,000 for losing in the Round of 16, while, in 2015, the USSF provided the WNT with only $1,725,000 for winning the entire tournament."

The United States Soccer Federation has countered that the USWNT signed a collective bargaining agreement in 2017, agreeing to the terms they are now suing to change. They've also argued that "disparity in prize money between the men's and women's World Cups are decided by FIFA, the sport's international governing body, and thus out of U.S. Soccer's control."

But this year's Women's World Cup has seen a surge in viewership, as Nancy Armour of USA Today wrote:

"Ratings on Fox are, simply, stunning. They are up 13 percent overall from the 2015 World Cup, which was in time zone-friendlier Canada, and up 66 percent from 2011. Broadcasts of the U.S. women's games have seen a 3 percent increase from 2015, when all of the games were aired in prime time.

"There's a similar trend across the globe. Brazil's win over Italy in the group-stage finale was shown live and had a combined audience of 22.4 million viewers."

The USWNT's fight may ultimately become a fight with FIFA, which has had avoidable issues at this year's World Cup revolving around ticketing and a lack of transportation for fans, among other concerns. There continues to be the sense within the soccer community that FIFA doesn't treat the Women's World Cup as a top priority.

And the U.S. women aren't alone in their protests. One of the top players in the world, Norway's Ada Hegerberg, has boycotted the event over unequal treatment for the women's team.

The United States women have won three of the seven Women's World Cups, while the U.S. men have never done so and failed to even qualify for the most recent World Cup.

The U.S. women are also favored to add a fourth title this summer after blasting through the group stage and outscoring Sweden, Chile and Thailand 18-0. But they are fighting a battle on two fronts, and the one on the pitch has offered less resistance to this point.

Former United States women's national soccer team goalkeeper Hope Solo breaks down Team USA's first real test of the World Cup versus Sweden, set for Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd and Mallory Pugh headline the United States' national team roster for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, set to face Thailand in their tournament opener on June 11.

The defending champions are among the favourites to win the tournament, courtesy of a deep squad filled with both young talent and experienced veterans.

Here is a look at the full squad of 23 players:

🗣 BACK FOR FOUR

23 players on the squad. A nation at our back. Our World Cup roster is here.#OneNationOneTeam #FIFAWWC

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) May 2, 2019

For a full breakdown of the jersey numbers, visit US Soccer's official website.

With 18 total World Cup matches under her belt, Lloyd is arguably the biggest star on the team, and she'll be a key veteran in the weeks to come.

The 36-year-old was a standout four years ago, winning the Golden Ball and netting a hat-trick in the final against Japan.

It was a career-defining performance for one of the best players the team has ever had:

She is still scoring at a fair rate but has had to settle for a bench role with the national team lately, and that's not something she's comfortable with, per sports writer Steve Politi:

Carli Lloyd says she's "a way better soccer player" than she was four years ago when she dominated the World Cup. So is comfortable coming off the bench this time around? "No. I'm not." Uh oh. Column: https://t.co/bPX2GM6WrE

— Steve Politi (@StevePoliti) May 25, 2019

Lloyd is arguably the best impact player off the bench in the world right now, however, and will likely be a massive weapon in such a role.

The biggest scoring threat may be Morgan, who has usually reserved her best football for the international stage and won last year's USWNT Player of the Year for scoring a remarkable 18 goals in 19 matches.

It was her best-ever return and raised hopes she would enter the World Cup in deadly form, but the 29-year-old has slowed down a bit since. She has three goals in seven outings this year.

Pugh is already an established star, even at the young age of 21, and the Washington Spirit forward will be gunning for her first World Cup win with the Stars and Stripes:

Arguably the biggest surprise is the inclusion of Ali Krieger, who spent two years outside of the squad before she was recalled for the friendlies against Australia and Belgium.

The 34-year-old was also a part of the 2015 team, bringing even more experience to the side.

Alyssa Naeher will be the likely starter in goal and faces the biggest challenge of her international career, as Hope Solo's former backup will play as the top option in her first World Cup.