Football: Rapinoe brace boosts US in 6-0 SheBelieves Cup win over Argentina

ORLANDO -- Megan Rapinoe scored twice in the first half and the United States romped to a 6-0 victory over Argentina Wednesday to retain the SheBelieves Cup friendly football title.

Led by Rapinoe, the tournament's top scorer with three goals, the United States finished with a maximum nine points with three wins from three matches in the four-nation round-robin tournament.

Second place went to Brazil, who capped their tournament with a 2-0 victory over Canada earlier on Wednesday at Exploria Stadium in Orlando.

Canada finished third with three points and Argentina, in their first appearance, came away with zero points.

Argentina, the only team in the event outside the top-10 in the FIFA rankings, were a last-minute replacement for Japan.

They had an early setback with three players ruled out of their opening match just hours before kickoff because of Covid-19 protocols.

They were overwhelmed early by a United States team that scored four goals in the first half.

The first two came from Rapinoe, who tapped in a ball from Rose Lavelle in the 16th minute.

The 2019 FIFA Player of the Year doubled the lead in the 26th when she finished off a through ball from Carli Lloyd.

"We wanted to come out fast as always," Rapinoe said. 'It's always dangerous to leave teams hanging around."

Lloyd herself made it 3-0 in the 35th off a cross from Kristie Mewis on the left side of the box.

Mewis made it 4-0 in the 41st.

Alex Morgan lofted a shot over Argentine goalkeeper Solana Pereyra in the 84th -- her first goal since the birth of her daughter, Charlie, in May.

Christen Press finished off the scoring with a header in the 88th.

The reigning World Cup champions haven't lost a game since a defeat to France in January 2019.

In the first match of the day's double-header, goals from Debinha and Julia Bianchi lifted Brazil over Canada.

Debinha scored her second goal of the tournament to put the Brazilians up 1-0 in the 15th minute, knocking in a rebound after a shot from Adriana ricocheted off the post.

Brazil, guided by former US coach Pia Sundhage, doubled the score in the 39th, taking advantage of a defensive lapse by the Canadians, who twice failed to clear a ball in their area.

It ended up at the feet of Bianchi, who fired a shot into the top corner of the net.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Mewis named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

Midfielder Samantha Mewis has been named the 2020 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year, capping a year in which she excelled for clubs in the U.S. and England, in addition to the U.S. National Team.

Mewis, 28, played in eight of the nine games for the U.S. National Team, starting six and scoring four goals, all coming at the 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying tournament, where she posted consecutive two-goal games against Costa Rica and Mexico.

She also played well in the NWSL Challenge Cup for the North Carolina Courage before moving to England, where she joined Manchester City in August. 

She played 17 matches for Manchester City and scored six goals -- three in the FA Women's Super League, two in the FA Cup and one in the Champions League.

Mewis helped lead Manchester City to a 3-1 win over Everton to claim the FA Cup, becoming just the second American woman -- and third American -- to score in an FA Cup final, joining Carli Lloyd (2017) and Christian Pulisic (2020).

"It's obviously a huge honor to be a part of the list of players that have won this award in the past," Mewis, the 17th member of the U.S. National Team to win the honor, said in a statement.

"It should go without saying that it's the team that does the work on the field and I just have so much respect for the other nominees this year and all my teammates."

-reuters-

Cooler tone in new US Soccer women's equal pay filings

LOS ANGELES -- Women players suing US Soccer say in court documents filed Tuesday that the federation has acknowledged the jobs of men and women footballers require equal skill.

The language seemed to signal a decrease in tension between the parties after language in documents filed by federation lawyers earlier in March provoked widespread outrage in saying that playing on the men's national team required a higher level of skill based on speed and strength and carried greater responsibility.

The fierce backlash, not only from the women players but from sponsors such as Coca-Cola, ultimately forced Carlos Cordeiro to resign as president of the federation, to be replaced by vice president Cindy Parlow Cone -- a former US international.

US Soccer brought in new legal counsel, which has focused in court filings on refuting the plaintiffs' claims that the federation violated the US Equal Pay Act and other anti-discrimination legislation.

"The parties have significantly narrowed the issues to be tried by way of discovery and briefing," Tuesday's filing from the players' lawyers said.

"USSF no longer disputes that the jobs of the WNT and MNT players require equal skill, effort and responsibility -- and therefore have necessarily conceded that they perform equal work."

The documents filed by the federation outlining the case they plan to make said the women players had not identified comparable male counterparts under the law -- which requires equal payment for men and women working "in the same establishment."

"The undisputed facts show that the WNT and MNT are both geographically and operationally distinct," the US Soccer filing said.

"The WNT and MNT play in different venues in different cities (and often different countries), and participate in separate competitions against completely different pools of opponents."

The federation again stated that apparent pay discrepancies are due to a different pay structure negotiated by the women's union.

The case is set to go to trial May 5.

Parlow Cone told reporters in a conference call last week that she would like to settle the case sooner.

"I don't think a trial is good for either party or for soccer, both in this country or internationally," she said. "Obviously our women's team is the best team in the world, and I am hopeful that we can find a resolution before this goes to trial."

Tuesday's filings also included potential witnesses for both sides. The lists included all four class representatives in the lawsuit: Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn.

Former US coach Jill Ellis, Cordeiro and another former federation chief, Sunil Gulati, could also appear.

Agence France-Presse

US Soccer boss apologizes after Coca-Cola rips 'offensive' claims

LOS ANGELES -- Coca-Cola slammed US Soccer after the federation claimed in court documents that playing for the men's national team carries more responsibility and requires a higher level of skill than that demanded of women players.

US Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro issued an apology for the "offense and pain caused" by the court document language hours after being ripped by a major sponsor.

The federation made the gender claims in papers filed this week in the gender discrimination lawsuit filed by the US Women's National Team against the federation in March of 2019.

"We are extremely disappointed with the unacceptable and offensive comments made by US Soccer," the Coca-Cola Company said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We have asked to meet with them immediately to express our concerns.

"The Coca-Cola Co. is firm in its commitment to gender equality, fairness and women's empowerment in the United States and around the world and we expect the same from our partners," added the company, which is a long-established corporate partner of both the US Soccer Federation and FIFA, football's global governing body and organizer of the men's and women's World Cups.

Cordeiro followed by saying the legal language didn't reflect US Soccer's true "values" or appreciation of the women's team.

"On behalf of US Soccer, I sincerely apologize for the offense and pain caused by language in this week's court filing, which did not reflect the values of our federation or our tremendous admiration of our Women's National Team," Cordeiro said.

"Our WNT players are incredibly talented and work tirelessly, as they have demonstrated time and again from their Olympic Gold medals to their World Cup titles."

The women players' lawsuit accuses the federation of gender discrimination and demands $66 million in back pay under the Equal Pay act and the Civil Rights Act.

Both sides have requested a summary judgment seeking a ruling in their favour before the May 5 trial date.

In its submission filed this week, the USSF argued that the hostile environments in which the men's team play are "unmatched by anything the Women's National Team (WNT) must face ..."

The federation also argued that "The job of (a men's national team) player (competing against senior men's national teams) requires a higher level of skill based on speed and strength than does the job of (women's national team) player (competing against senior women's national teams)."

Molly Levinson, spokeswoman for the players pursuing the lawsuit, called it a "ridiculous 'argument.'"

"It sounds as if it has been made by a caveman," Levinson said. "Literally everyone in the world understands that an argument that male players 'have more responsibility' is just plain simple sexism and illustrates the very gender discrimination that caused us to file this lawsuit to begin with.

"So looking forward to trial on May 5," Levinson concluded.

Cordeiro said US Soccer will make "immediate changes" going forward.

"I have made it clear to our legal team that even as we debate facts and figures in the course of this case, we must do so with the utmost respect not only for our Women's National Team players but for all female athletes around the world," he said.

"As we do, we will continue to work to resolve this suit in the best interest of everyone involved."

Agence France-Presse

U.S. women's team fights back against governing body's pay claims

NEW YORK - U.S. women's national soccer team players pushed back in a court filing on Monday against claims by the U.S. Soccer Federation that some members earn more than their male counterparts, as they argued for class action status in the latest chapter of their closely-watched legal fight.

All 28 member of the U.S. women's national soccer team sued the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination in March in a lawsuit that included complaints about wages and working conditions.

Mediation between the two parties broke down in August, weeks after U.S. Soccer's President Carlos Cordeiro said in an open letter that the organization has paid more to the women's team than the men's in recent years.

A week ago, the organization said it opposed the women's players bid for class action status in their suit.

"Over the class period, the (Women's National Team) has played far more games than the (Men's National Team) and amassed a far higher win percentage, including earning two World Cup championships," the suit's plaintiffs said in Monday's court filing. 

"This is the only reason why the four (Women's National Team) class representatives were able to earn more total compensation than members of the (Men's National Team)."

Those four players - Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbrunn - would have earned far more under the men's team's pay rate policy, the plaintiffs argued in the filing.

A spokesman for U.S. Soccer said members of the men's national team have the chance to earn larger bonuses, but they do not receive guaranteed money in their "pay-for-play contract structure."

"Our men and women's national teams have different pay structures, not because of gender, but because each team chose to negotiate a different compensation package with U.S. Soccer," the spokesman said.

The U.S. women's team successfully defended its World Cup title in July in France, defeating the Netherlands in the final. The team has four women's World Cup titles, more than any other nation.

Players from the U.S. men's squad threw their support behind their female counterparts in July and accused U.S. Soccer of not paying a fair share of generated revenue to national team players.

The dispute has attracted international attention, with numerous celebrities, athletes and politicians backing the women's players amid renewed conversation over pay equity in the United States. 

(Reporting by Amy Tennery Editing by Tom Brown)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

US women footballers' equal pay lawsuit to go to trial in 2020

LOS ANGELES -- The equal pay lawsuit filed by US women footballers against the US Soccer Federation has been scheduled to go to trial on May 5, 2020, the players' spokesperson said Monday.

The gender discrimination lawsuit regarding unequal pay and working conditions was filed on March 8 by 28 players, and Monday's trial date, set by US District Judge R. Gary Klausner in Los Angeles, comes a week after the players and the federation reached an impasse in mediation.

"We are pleased with the expeditious schedule that has been set by the Court and we are eager to move forward with this case," Molly Levinson, a spokesperson for the US women players, said in a statement. "We very much look forward to the trial in May 2020 when the players will have their day in court.

"We have every confidence that these world champion athletes will get what they legally deserve -— nothing less than equal pay and working conditions."

The May date will put the jury trial amid the team's build up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, although it remains possible a settlement could be reached before then.

The issue was center stage as the United States triumphed in the Women's World Cup in France in July, chants of "equal Pay" raining down on the champions after they defeated the Netherlands in the final.

US lawmakers have proposed legislation that would block federal funding for the 2026 Men's World Cup -- to be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada -- until the federation pays its women's national team "fair and equitable wages".

A US Soccer spokesman said the federation was "continuing to work to find a resolution" to the dispute.

Federation president Carlos Cordeiro issued figures last month that he said showed US Soccer had compensated women more than men over the past decade, but the women players said the figures were misleading, noting they included salaries for National Women's Soccer League play.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hope Solo hit with six-month ban over 'cowards' comments

U.S. Soccer handed goalkeeper Hope Solo a six-month ban from internationals on Wednesday after she branded opponents Sweden "a bunch of cowards" at this month's Rio Olympics.

The Swedes beat the United States 4-3 in a shootout on Aug. 12 to move into the semi-finals at the Rio Games, denying the Americans a chance to win a fourth straight Olympic title.

"The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our national team players," U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement.


"Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honour those principles, with no exceptions.

"Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we've had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a U.S. national team member, U.S. Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action."

Solo, who was previously suspended for 30 days in early 2015 for her conduct, would start her suspension immediately, U.S. Soccer said.

The 35-year-old hit the headlines in January last year over a domestic violence case that was dismissed after she pleaded not guilty to striking her sister and nephew during a dispute at her home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland.

Solo, who played on Olympic gold medal-winning teams in 2008 and 2012, said in a statement to Sports Illustrated she was "saddened" by the ban.

"For 17 years, I dedicated my life to the U.S. women's national team and did the job of a pro athlete the only way I knew how - with passion, tenacity, an unrelenting commitment to be the best goalkeeper in the world, not just for my country, but to elevate the sport for the next generation of female athletes.

"In those commitments, I have never wavered."

Following the United States' exit from the Rio Games tournament, Solo told the magazine she was proud of her team mates for coming back from a goal down to draw 1-1 but was highly critical of Sweden's tactics.

"I'm very proud of this team," she said.

"But I also think we played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today," said Solo, who later confirmed in a Tweet she had made the comments after the match in Brasilia.

"Sweden dropped off. They did not want open play. They didn't want to pass the ball. They didn't want to play great soccer."

As a result of her suspension, Solo will not be eligible for selection to the U.S. national team until February next year.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com