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Did U.S. Soccer make things worse by claiming to pay women more than the men? | High Noon

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The U.S. Soccer Federation’s attempt to neutralize a high-profile gender discrimination lawsuit with internal compensation data has ignited a fierce public relations firestorm.

The U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) is locked in a high-stakes legal battle with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) following their March 2019 federal lawsuit alleging institutionalized pay discrimination. Days before scheduled mediation, USSF President Carlos Cordeiro released a four-page fact sheet claiming the federation paid the women’s team $34.1 million between 2010 and 2018, compared to $26.4 million for the men’s team.

• The USSF attributes the pay disparity to distinct collective bargaining agreements, noting the women’s team accepted guaranteed base salaries and benefits while the men pursued a higher-risk model reliant on game bonuses.
• The USWNT legal team, led by spokesperson Molly Levinson, rejected the federation’s figures as a “ruse,” arguing the data improperly included NWSL salaries subsidized by the federation rather than focusing strictly on game-day compensation.

The Disputed Financial Narrative

The USSF’s assertion that female players earned more than their male counterparts relies on aggregate data spanning nearly a decade. Cordeiro stated the federation’s mission was to provide transparency ahead of court-ordered mediation. However, the release faced immediate backlash from both the players and the USMNT Players Association, which accused the federation of using misleading statistics to justify systemic discrimination.

The USWNT legal team has characterized the federation’s public disclosure as a sad attempt to manipulate public opinion and obscure an apples-to-apples comparison of pay.

The players argue that the USSF’s math intentionally conflates different income streams to muddy the waters. By including NWSL salaries in their calculations, the federation is essentially crediting itself for payments that exist outside the scope of international match compensation. The players maintain that an accurate comparison would show that male players receive significantly higher game-day bonuses and revenue shares, placing the burden on the USSF to justify these structures in federal court.

Pressure Amidst Ongoing Litigation

The timing of the USSF’s disclosure, occurring only weeks after the USWNT’s 2019 World Cup title, has amplified the political stakes. With the players seeking nearly $67 million in back pay and damages, the federation is facing unprecedented scrutiny from both the public and members of the U.S. Senate. The lawsuit has moved past initial filings, and both parties are currently preparing for court-ordered mediation to settle the soccer federation’s long-term financial obligations.

Both sides now move to formal mediation, where the USWNT’s claim for $67 million in damages will face its first major test against the federation’s insistence that their distinct collective bargaining agreements justify the disparity.