Hall of Famer Julie Foudy: ‘Equal pay’ fight by Megan Rapinoe, USWNT about so much more

Mike DeCourcy

Hall of Famer Julie Foudy: ‘Equal pay’ fight by Megan Rapinoe, USWNT about so much more image

The chant that served as the soundtrack for the United States women's national team's celebration immediately following their World Cup victory at Lyon Olympic Stadium, and during their drive a few days later through the Canyon of Heroes at a ticker-tape parade in New York City, was simple enough.

"Equal pay! Equal pay!"

The issue that ignited that cheer is more complicated, though.

"It's not just about equal pay. It's about equal staffing, equal investment, equal marketing," National Soccer Hall of Famer Julie Foudy told Sporting News this week. "I mean, it's much bigger than just equal salary.

"One of the things that irked us back in the day that has continued to be a bit of an issue with this team, you'd look around and … for example, we'd be staying in lesser hotels across the world. And those things have improved, of course. But they feel there are still discrepancies in spending and marketing and support and all of those things."

MORE: After World Cup triumph, time for U.S. coach to get her due

Foudy played for 17 years and earned 274 caps for the USWNT, earning World Cup titles in 1991 and 1999 and Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2004. She has worked for ESPN for nearly 15 years, primarily as a soccer analyst but also as a reporter and host for programs including the network's prestigious "Outside The Lines."

She also represents Allstate as part of its Allstate Cup program, which will honor the nation's top high school soccer players — boys and girls — with all-star games July 31 in Orlando that will be televised by ESPNU.

Foudy was in France for a month covering Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and the rest of the U.S. team as they won the nation's fourth World Cup. That victory came not long after members of the team had filed a gender discrimination suit against the U.S. Soccer Federation; while the team was in France, legal representatives handling the case for the women agreed to mediation with U.S. Soccer.

As a foundational member of the 1999 world champions -- a team that helped draw a capacity crowd to the Rose Bowl for the final against China, as well as a record television audience watching at home -- Foudy understands the importance of the current women's team seizing their moment in the spotlight to lobby for the changes and improvements they believe are necessary — and warranted.

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The United States has been at the forefront of the development of women's soccer. There is no debating that. The USWNT has won 57 percent of the major world titles awarded since the initial World Cup was contested, and many players from around the world either have played in American pro leagues (including Canada's Christine Sinclair and Brazil's Marta currently in the NWSL) or at U.S. colleges.

"There definitely has been progress," Foudy told SN. "You heard Megan Rapinoe say in France, and you heard other players say it: Look, we know we are suing the federation, but they also said we also want to acknowledge that we have set the standard for this program and for women's soccer. They're thankful for that, but they also know there's more to be done, as Megan says with a smile.

"They definitely have made a lot of strides. A lot of it has been us kicking them there. But they understand the value of this women's team. In our days, they didn't. They thought we were crazy. 'What are you talking about? No one's coming to games.' And it's like, 'Yeah, because no one knows we're there.'

"It’s been slow. When we won in '99, we thought there would be a global movement of these federations realizing there is a market they could be tapping into. I think the only thing in these cultures that moves them — because they're not used to young girls playing soccer or even allowing young girls to play soccer — the one thing that moves the needle is the ability to try to make money. I feel like the big difference between '99 and '19 was 1999 was more of a domestic movement. And 2019 feels like a global movement in terms of people watching and paying attention and going, 'Oh, our country needs to do better.'"

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The equal pay argument has been complicated since becoming public in 2016 — by the history that Foudy mentions, but also by the fact the members of the U.S. men's and women's teams are paid using different structures. The men only are paid when called in as part of a team for a tournament or friendly. Core USWNT members are paid a base salary of reportedly $100,000, with most also getting their club salaries and benefits paid by the federation.

It's further muddled by the vast differences in tournament income from FIFA, the world governing body, for the men's and women's World Cups.

The FIFA World Cup is a monster attraction; an estimated 3.5 billion watched last summer’s event. However, the FIFA Women’s World Cup this year drew a billion viewers worldwide. The women are getting 7.5 percent of the men's prize money while drawing 28.5 percent of their audience. If the women got 28.5 percent of the men's payout, their purse this summer would have gone from $30 million to $114 million.

"It’s tough," Foudy said, "because people will say the men's World Cup makes a lot more money, and the women will respond by saying, 'Well, what would have happened if you actually paid attention to or cared about the women's game 20 years ago?'

"So how do you prove systemic discrimination in court? That's above my pay grade. But I do know there are a lot of people in the public and it makes great sense to them that these women should be making more than they are, and they shouldn't have to be fighting for it when they've won four out of the eight World Cups.

"So they'll come to some agreement, and what equal means, I'm not sure with the FIFA bonuses. But I'm certain it will be more than what it is."

MORE: Rapinoe conquers haters, the Netherlands — and the planet

Foudy also is certain the members of the USWNT who are taking on this fight are representing a cause larger than better pay for American female players, or even the growth of the game globally. Equal pay for equal work remains an issue for women in the workforce generally.

"Back when we were fighting, I always got, 'You need to tone it down,'" Foudy said. "Or I’d get my agent calling me saying someone on the outside, who knew the U.S. Soccer Federation, they'd say, 'You need to rein it in.' And I'd say, 'Rein what in? This is me fighting for our group, for what we deserve.'

"Everything was, 'Oh, honey, you don't need a lawyer. Why do you need a lawyer? Just trust us.' And that's global. That's with women everywhere. Tone it down. Rein it in. Behave. And so I do think it's a conscious effort of these players to say: No, we don't have to rein it in anymore. We don't have to tone it down. And we are free to live out loud, and this is who we are, and I don't have to apologize for being good and I don't have to apologize for my celebrations or whatever it is."

Mike DeCourcy

Mike DeCourcy Photo

Mike DeCourcy has been the college basketball columnist at The Sporting News since 1995. Starting with newspapers in Pittsburgh, Memphis and Cincinnati, he has written about the game for 35 years and covered 32 Final Fours. He is a member of the United States Basketball Writers Hall of Fame and is a studio analyst at the Big Ten Network and NCAA Tournament Bracket analyst for Fox Sports. He also writes frequently for TSN about soccer and the NFL. Mike was born in Pittsburgh, raised there during the City of Champions decade and graduated from Point Park University.