Soccer isn’t playing fair

As American soccer fans chanted “I believe that we will win” from the stands in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Women’s World Cup final a week ago, the U.S. team proved them right by beating Japan, 5-2.

Later, Carli Lloyd was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, and the team took home $2 million in prize money.

But wait a minute: That’s $33 million short of the prize the German men’s team collected after winning their World Cup last summer. The U.S. men, who lost in the round of 16, took home $9 million.

The women’s $2 million will go to the U.S. Soccer Federation, which sets the amount each player will receive. The federation also sponsors the National Women’s Soccer League, which pays players a fraction of what men playing Major League Soccer earn.

The women’s league pays a top salary of only $37,800 per year. Players can end up with salaries below the poverty line by making the minimum, $6,842. The minimum for men on MLS teams is $60,000. …

FIFA officials defended the difference in World Cup prize money by noting the men’s tournament brings in more revenue. The National Women’s Soccer League, too, brings in far less cash than Major League Soccer.

The revenue the women’s teams produce might increase significantly if they were given comparable airtime. One recent study found all women’s sports got less than 5 percent of total sports coverage last year. …

Given the current FIFA scandal, with a score of officials accused of bribery and former president Sepp Blatter forced to step down, FIFA could use a positive shot in the arm.

But this isn’t just about good publicity; it’s about doing what is right. While women’s professional soccer still has a long way to go to reach the popularity of the men’s sport, when it comes to the World Cup, the women have already arrived, and they deserve to be paid.

— Philadelphia Inquirer