These Terrific Women Are Unequalled, and So Under-Paid
I have eagerly taken in World Cup Fubtol from the time our Chinese students, in 1986, set up big screens and hauled equipment and seats to rooftops across Tianjin University’s campus to watch the matches from Mexico City, Argentina’s guys edging Germany’s 3-2 in the final, at three in the morning Peking-time.. There was no escaping the month-long event and I’ve forever been grateful.
Of course, for the past twelve years, we have seen our women reach the finals three times, now having twice won the Cup. This past Sunday’s match v. The Netherlands was an unbridled triumph. Over the expanse of the tournament, our women never trailed an opponent. They could teach our fellas how to play The (Beautiful) Game. I want to see our guys back in contention as much as I want the women to win yet again.
Too, I look forward to seeing both our squads contend in next year’s Olympics at Tokyo.
What must change, as our women have now long argued and now have a deserved and growing fan base to emphasize, is the inane and plain wrong gap in reward/pay for all the hard work (as you’ll note in the chart).
We must do better.
koshersalaami
07/09/2019 @ 1:12 pm
This has become a way more visible issue recently. The idea that women are paid less than men for American soccer is absurd. If normal. Audience and ranking conventions were followed, women would be making much more than the men. This is sexism, period, and I hope the lawsuit against FIFA in particular is successful..
Jonathan Wolfman
07/09/2019 @ 1:17 pm
My guess is that US Soccer will take some proper steps now. We’ll see. Our women could teach our guys how to play the game.
Mrs Raptor
07/10/2019 @ 1:55 pm
US Soccer makes just over $50 million in endorsements during women’s Soccer matches but only $49 Million on the men’s Soccer matches. Obviously the women are more profitable than the men and yet it is the men who are paid more – whether they actually deserve the higher pay or not.