Ali Krieger, Gotham win NWSL championship after Megan Rapinoe's career ends with an injury
World Cup winner Esther Gonzรกlez scored the go-ahead goal on a header in first-half stoppage time and Gotham FC survived a wild finish to beat OL Reign 2-1 in the National Womenโs Soccer League championship match.
Trinity Rodman scores two second-half goals, US beats Wales 2-0 heading into Women's World Cup
Rising star Trinity Rodman scored for U.S. in the 76th minute and again in the 88th, and the Americans finally capitalized on their many offensive chances to beat Wales 2-0 in a final tuneup for the Women's World Cup.
Biden to award Medal of Freedom to Biles, McCain, Giffords
The White House says President Joe Biden will present the nation's highest civilian honor to 17 people, including gymnast Simone Biles, actor Denzel Washington and the late Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, with whom Biden served in the Senate.
Athletes react to the Supreme Court's abortion decision
U.S. national soccer team star Megan Rapinoe is among a group of leading sports figures who have expressed anger over the Supreme Courtโs decision to strip the nationโs constitutional protections for abortion, decrying an erosion of rights that women have had for a generation.
Ex-US Soccer president running again 2 years after quitting
Carlos Cordeiro is running to regain his job as U.S. Soccer Federation president, two years after he quit amid a backlash to the groupโs lawyers filing legal papers claiming the womenโs national team players had less physical ability and responsibility than their male counterparts.
![US Soccer says it has offered men, women identical contracts](https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/T2VSfM5e11qxoxxuaQ54vI4i3Rw=/800x533/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WYRFVHIOGJFHZAH7CHWMA6ZAKY.jpg)
US Soccer says it has offered men, women identical contracts
The U.S. Soccer Federation says it has offered identical contract proposals to the playersโ associations for the menโs and womenโs national teams, and the governing body said it would refuse to agree to a deal in which World Cup prize money is not equalized.
![US women tell 9th Circuit trial court didn't factor success](https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/CGf1zKFAhzevHuTEGxDlFsB8Uzo=/800x565/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/Q2PXEGRXSJGHROWXPP5APOGBTA.jpg)
US women tell 9th Circuit trial court didn't factor success
Players on the U.S. womenโs national soccer team urged a federal appeals court to reinstate their equal pay lawsuit, saying their greater success than the American men was not taken into account by a trial court judge who dismissed their case.
![Women's soccer stars join Biden to promote closing pay gap](https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/gcOkRDohATc0J-lAelPD5VgZdpE=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WISC4BIRARC3HPBL6AWJAPYMUY.jpg)
Women's soccer stars join Biden to promote closing pay gap
Biden and his wife, Jill, hosted a roundtable with Margaret Purce and Megan Rapinoe of the U.S. womenโs national soccer team, and other members of the squad who attended virtually. โDoesnโt matter if youโre an electrician, an accountant or part of the best damn soccer team in the world,โ Biden said. The suit was dismissed in May because the women had accepted a different base pay structure than the men's soccer team. The women's team plans to appeal the dismissal. The National Women's Law Center found that Black women earn just 63 cents for a dollar paid to a non-Hispanic white man, while Hispanic women make only 55 cents.
![US Soccer council member removed after controversial speech](https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Gg3PZiCHEjG9ub9mW9logyOPlQw=/1600x1064/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VXCFI3ACIFCUJHVBGE2UHQ7VC4.jpg)
US Soccer council member removed after controversial speech
The USSF board of directors voted to repeal the policy last June, a decision the online annual meeting affirmed Saturday by 71.34% voting in favor of repeal. โEvery race in the history of mankind has been enslaved by another demographic at some point time." He suggested athletes who wish to take a knee do so on their own individual platforms but not while representing the U.S. on a soccer field. AdMembers of the women's team who had kneeled for the anthem announced last week that they would no longer do so, preferring instead to focus on projects within the team and their communities to fight systemic racism. ___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
![Rapinoe-led US beats Argentina 6-0 to win SheBelieves Cup](https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ha0_lVMu3aMK4LxzzmEpmOypNno=/1600x1064/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NKPXXRNYKVCATKBR7WJ6PTYGSQ.jpg)
Rapinoe-led US beats Argentina 6-0 to win SheBelieves Cup
The United States shut out Canada in the round-robin tournament opener and then downed Brazil 2-0 on Sunday. Rapinoe scored in the 16th minute with a well-timed strike on a through ball from Rose Lavelle for the early lead. It was Lloyd's 124th international goal and it came in her 299th appearance with the national team. It was her 108th international goal, moving her into sole possession of fifth place on the team's career list. The United States improved to 4-0 against Argentina.
![Press, Rapinoe score, US beats Brazil 2-0 in SheBelieves Cup](https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/A5UHPGn38rnow8jCDyTIMmyE4SA=/1600x1064/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TLXTNACO6REHFAOV2Z7A6S7VMM.jpg)
Press, Rapinoe score, US beats Brazil 2-0 in SheBelieves Cup
The United States sits atop the SheBelieves Cup standings with two wins. But not only a goal, the way we played our attack in the first 20 minutes," Brazil coach Pia Sundhage said. It was Press' 10th goal in her last 13 national team games and 59th international goal. Alex Morgan made her first start for the national team since giving birth to daughter Charlie last year. The U.S. beat Canada 1-0 in its SheBelieves Cup opener on Thursday, while Brazil beat rival Argentina 4-1.
![Rapinoe returns to US national team after nearly a year](https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/15B9XPygDf5kit1eQPej0Hp0TNQ=/1600x1032/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JBPIQZG3PVE5XG7LYTATXTUPY4.jpg)
Rapinoe returns to US national team after nearly a year
That's changing now that Rapinoe has returned to the U.S. national team for its January training camp in Florida after sitting out most of last year. The last time Rapinoe played for the national team was on March 11, when she scored in a 3-1 SheBelieves Cup victory over Japan. The national team settled its dispute with the federation over unequal working conditions in December, leaving the pay dispute still unresolved. Rapinoe, 35, has scored 52 goals with 68 assists in 168 appearances with the national team since her first call-up in 2006. She scored on a penalty kick in the United States' victory over the Netherlands in the 2019 World Cup final.
![Athletes around the country share reactions to news of presidential election](https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/I42p318mUhkPHRoXUY5UaC9L-MM=/1024x683/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZSJU6FEKBJFO7AVAZSN6SYOIQY.jpg)
Athletes around the country share reactions to news of presidential election
Athletes across the country were out in full force Saturday after the Associated Press declared that Joe Biden won the presidential election. Lakers star LeBron James had been particularly outspoken on Twitter in the lead up to the election, but went with humor on Saturday. Yoooo @KingJames yโall can go to the White House and celebrate yโall title G! FOE and more THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! ๐บ๐ธ โ๐ฟโ๐พโ๐ฝโ๐ผ โ Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) November 7, 2020Alex Morgan, another part of the U.S. womenโs soccer national team, had this photo to share.
![Women's World Cup winner Nagasato joins men's club in Japan](https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/Ryvp0PswPAKx46o2zyL5vP8lDvw=/1600x1105/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NIBZPENI5JENFH75L4SMYZ6QL4.jpg)
Women's World Cup winner Nagasato joins men's club in Japan
ATSUGI Womens World Cup winner Yuki Nagasato is joining Japanese mens club Hayabusa Eleven on loan from the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL. The mens team plays in an amateur regional league that is several levels below the countrys top pro soccer league, the J-League. Nagasato, who won the Womens World Cup with Japan in 2011, joined Chicago in 2017 after playing in several other leagues. It was very inspiring to hear the social message about gender inequality and other messages that Rapinoe was trying to deliver during the (2019) World Cup, Nagasato said. For over a decade shes been telling me that her ultimate dream is to play in a mens team, Genki Nagasato said.
![Simone Soars: Biles named 2019 AP Female Athlete of the Year](https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/ry8rLUo1SncSLeyy1zPc8SmZ2HE=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/275HMWZSDNH75CXBOHMUARH34I.jpg)
Simone Soars: Biles named 2019 AP Female Athlete of the Year
Biles is the 2019 AP Female Athlete of the Year. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)Theyโre called โSimone Things,โ a catchall phrase for the casual ease with which Simone Biles seems to soar through her sport and her life. The greatest gymnast of all time and 2019 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year only makes it seem that way. She is the first gymnast to be named AP Female Athlete of the Year twice and the first to do it in a non-Olympic year. Biles edged U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe in a vote by AP member sports editors and AP beat writers.
![US Women's National Team granted class action status in lawsuit](https://sharedmedia.grahamdigital.com/photo/2019/07/07/USWNT%20Soccer%20World%20Cup%202019.jpg_22450275_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg)
US Women's National Team granted class action status in lawsuit
The US Women's National Team's lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation was filed in March in US District Court in California, with 28 members of the team listed as plaintiffs. Friday's class certification decision allows for members of the USWNT to sue the federation collectively -- including any player who reported for national team duty over a specific period of time cited in the lawsuit. When contacted for reaction, a federation spokesperson said, "U.S. Soccer does not have any specific comment." The federation said US Soccer pays USWNT contracted players a salary to play in the National Women's Soccer League, while the men are paid by their individual teams. "The women's national team players deserve equal pay and are right to pursue a legal remedy from the courts or Congress," the men's team said.
![More celebs join Michelle Obama's voter outreach drive](https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/sJ1LvOak7M8UMqo6auAwO79J17k=/1600x1135/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/GMMYXVHDI5DY7HTZC74JMDAZDA.jpg)
More celebs join Michelle Obama's voter outreach drive
NEW YORK, NY โ Election Day is over, but Michelle Obama is still trying to get out the vote. Obama is already a co-chair, along with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Faith Hill, Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson, and basketball star Chris Paul. When We Vote, a nonprofit, describes itself as a nonpartisan group dedicated to increasing voter participation. The announcement Thursday marks a year until the 2020 elections, which includes the presidential race. ___This story has been corrected to delete incorrect reference that the 2020 general elections are happening a year to the date of Thursday.
![New USWNT coach feels weight of expectation](https://sharedmedia.grahamdigital.com/photo/2019/07/10/USWNT%20World%20Cup%20parade.jpg_22090255_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg)
New USWNT coach feels weight of expectation
That is the daunting challenge facing Vlatko Andonovski after the 43-year-old was appointed as the new head coach of the United States Women's National soccer team. "It is important for this team to win every game and not just every game but to win big tournaments as well. The standard of the women's game has improved significantly, with more competitive and professional leagues in Europe bolstering the number of star players across the globe. More than just a gameThrough their success on the field, a number of USWNT players have chosen to voice their political and social ideals. "I respect their position," Andonovski said of the USWNT players' fight for social justice.
![Megan Rapinoe wins top FIFA honor](https://sharedmedia.grahamdigital.com/photo/2019/09/24/Megan%20Rapinoe%20FIFA%20award.jpg_22320799_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg)
Megan Rapinoe wins top FIFA honor
Megan Rapinoe accepts the Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year award during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at the Teatro alla Scala on Sept. 23, 2019, in Milan, Italy. USWNT star Megan Rapinoe praised Raheem Sterling for his continuing fight against racism and urged a host of leading footballers and coaches to use their platform as worldwide stars to "change the world for better" after being named The Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year on Monday. However, Rapinoe said that it shouldn't be just down to those individuals to fight alone. I feel like that's my ask of everybody, we have such an incredible opportunity being professional football players. Award winnersElsewhere, Lionel Messi edged out Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk to be crowned The Best FIFA Men's Player, while Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp and USWNT boss Jill Ellis were crowned The Best FIFA Coaches.
![US women's soccer team defeats Ireland](https://sharedmedia.grahamdigital.com/photo/2019/07/10/US%20Women%27s%20Soccer%20Team%2C%20Morgan%2C%20Krieger%2C%20Rapinoe.jpg.jpg_22088900_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg)
US women's soccer team defeats Ireland
Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger and Megan Rapinoe celebrate during a victory ticker-tape parade for the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team on July 10, 2019, in the Manhattan borough of New York City. (CNN) - The US women's soccer team, still World Champions and emerging advocates for women's rights, returned to center stage with flair Saturday night. On the field, the Americans dispatched Ireland 3-0 in a friendly at the Rose Bowl, their first match since winning the World Cup last month in France. Off the pitch this weekend, the US Women's National Team Players Association announced a partnership with Time's Up activists to raise funds to help fight for pay equity in various industries. "I think it's part of what this team is about, what these players are about," coach Jill Ellis said after the game.
![Megan Rapinoe to publish book](https://sharedmedia.grahamdigital.com/photo/2019/06/27/Megan%20Rapinoe.jpg_22033047_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg)
Megan Rapinoe to publish book
(CNN) - Soccer goddess Megan Rapinoe led the US women's team to victory in this year's World Cup. Penguin Press announced Thursday that it will publish a book by the co-captain of the US Women's National Team in fall 2020. "I hope this book will inspire people to find what they can do, and in turn inspire other people around them to do the same," Rapinoe told The New York Times. Off the field, Rapinoe has become an advocate for gender equality and equal pay. In a speech at the team's victory parade in New York this month, she urged people to do better.