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Megan Rapinoe Blasts US Soccer By Saying Talks ‘Must Begin With Equal Pay’

Megan Rapinoe Blasts US Soccer By Saying Talks ‘Must Begin With Equal Pay’

“We show up for a game, if we win the game if we lose the game if we tie the game, we want to be paid equally, period,” Megan Rapinoe said.

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz

US star Megan Rapinoe has fired out a shot at US Soccer over the ongoing debate surrounding equal pay for women in the sport.

The US co-captain, who won the Golden Boot in this summer's World Cup, made an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America on Thursday alongside fellow international teammate Christen Press.

And Rapinoe, 34, remained firm on her position over equal pay for women and men in football.

"They're the only employer that we could have playing for the national team, we're the only employees that they could have, so for better or for worse we're tethered together," she said.

"I think that if and when and ever they are willing to have a conversation about equal pay that starts there and goes forward, we're always open to that."

The World Cup champions filed a lawsuit in March against US Soccer by firing out allegations of "institutionalised gender discrimination."

Both US Soccer and the women's players have been in talks to avoid going to court over the ongoing issue.

PA

PA

But on Wednesday talks between the two parties hit a deadlock.

According to Rapinoe, equal pay remains the women's top priority in their negotiations.

"We won't accept anything less than equal pay," she explained.

"We show up for a game, if we win the game if we lose the game if we tie the game, we want to be paid equally, period."

Press, 30, added that the "concept of paying us equally" was something that they "never even got past" in the talks.

She continued: "We were very hopeful in our discussions with them that they were going to take our proposals and our positions seriously, which is simply that every game that we play, we get compensated the same way a man would for playing or winning that game.

"And it broke down right there."

PA

PA

The lawsuit also tackles the issue beyond equal pay as it calls for "at least equal playing, training, and travel conditions; equal promotion of their games; equal support and development for their games; and other terms and conditions of employment."

US Soccer released a statement on Wednesday and called out the women's approach to the lawsuit.

"We have said numerous times that our goal is to find a resolution, and during mediation we had hoped we would be able to address the issues in a respectful manner and reach an agreement," reads the statement.

"Unfortunately, instead of allowing mediation to proceed in a considerate manner, plaintiffs' counsel took an aggressive and ultimately unproductive approach that follows months of presenting misleading information to the public in an effort to perpetuate confusion."

PA

When Press was asked if the team were nervous about the outcome of the case in court, she responded: "I think you're asking the wrong people what [happens] if we lose. It's not generally how we approach things."

Ex-Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer recently slated the idea of women being paid the same as men by calling it "ridiculous."

And England star Toni Duggan believes that women should be paid better in the sport, but not the same as men.

Should the women's US national team be paid equal to the men's?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: Today/PA

Topics: Football News, Football, USA, Megan Rapinoe, US