Former USA women's football team goalkeeper Hope Solo has launched a staggering attack on former teammates Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan after their recent equal pay settlement.
It was confirmed earlier this week that the USWNT's equal pay fight with US Soccer had been settled for a fee of $24 million.
The United States Soccer Federation [USSF] have committed to paying their women's and men's teams equal for games and tournaments on conditions of a bargaining agreement.
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Solo responded to the news on social media and argued the settlement isn't a 'win' for a number of reasons.
She said in a post on Twitter: "This settlement is not a 'huge win.' It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. A 'promise' of equal pay from the Federation and backpay for a select group of players isn’t equal pay and it’s not what this fight was about.
"Read the fine print. ‘Contingent upon the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement’.
"It doesn’t exist yet and is not guaranteed."
Solo was a USWNT international for 16 years and went on to attack Rapinoe and Morgan, who she won the 2015 World Cup with, for knowing the settlement was an 'easy out' from the fight.
The 40-year-old continued: "Throughout the entire process, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan were the two most agreeable with the Federation and to this day, continue to to accept terms that are nowhere near what we set out to do.
"They both know this is not a win. They know it’s an easy out of a fight they were never really in."
Solo then went on to praise other members of the 2015 World Cup winning squad for their part in the fight.
Rapinoe has been vocal in her desires for equal pay and even discussed the issue during a visit to the White House.
"We're so happy," she told the Athletic after the settlement was agreed.
"We feel like this is a huge win — obviously contingent upon the ratification of the collective bargaining agreement [CBA] — but it will have equal pay on everything moving forward.
"It's honestly kind of surreal. I feel like I need to take a step back. We've all been in the trenches of it for so long.
"I think I honestly don't even understand how monumental this is."
Rapinoe then took to Twitter and said 'when we win everyone wins' in a defiant statement.
Topics: Megan Rapinoe, Football
Daniel Marland