The United States Soccer Federation thinks men are superior players, and so members of the U.S. women’s national team should not earn as much as their counterparts. At least, that’s what the Federation’s lawyers argued as the women have filed for relief under the Equal Pay Act—Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In their filing, attorneys for U.S. soccer claimed the job of playing for the men’s team “carries more responsibility” and “requires a higher level of skill based on speed and strength.”
The lawyers also argued that the men play in front of significantly more hostile audiences, especially in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and that the hostility they face—which the women do not—is “evidence of significantly different jobs.”
In the face of protests by players, fans and sponsors, the president of U.S. soccer, Carlos…
