U.S. women's soccer team's fight for equality goes beyond wages

Women's soccer stars demand equal pay and treatment

Despite being the reigning World Cup and Olympic champions, the women's soccer players say they are still victims of a huge pay gap.

Women's soccer stars Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn and Hope Solo have filed a wage discrimination complaint against the U.S. Soccer federation, claiming they earn nearly four times less than their male counterparts.

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But their fight goes beyond fair wages - they also want equal treatment in travel, accommodations and field conditions, reports CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod.

Carli Lloyd's hat trick at last year's World Cup finals secured a $75,000 bonus for each of her teammates. But had she been playing on the men's team, that payout would have been more than $390,000.

In a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Lloyd and her teammates say they got a total of $2 million for winning the World Cup, while the men earned $9 million for losing in the round of 16.

Goalkeeper Hope Solo signed on to the complaint. Last month, she denounced soccer's sexist pay disparity on "CBS This Morning," saying, "This a time when we need to push for equality, and we need to push for what's right. And people are paying attention."

ESPNW analyst Julie Foudy -- who played for two World Cup winning teams -- said the women have long felt undervalued.

"It is basically saying -- why are we still having the conversation about the little things and about respect and about the things that matter so much to this women's team?" Foudy said.

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In a statement, U.S. Soccer said, "For 30 years, we have been a world leader in promoting the women's game and are proud of the long-standing commitment we have made to building women's soccer."

But last year, the federation spent more than $31 million on the men's team, compared to just $10 million on the women.

Hampton Dellinger represented many of the same players in a dispute over artificial turf. He believes they have a strong case.

"It's the Women's National Team that has shattered all the records for viewership, that is putting more fans in the stands," Dellinger said. "I think there's a very good argument that the women's team are really subsidizing the men's team."

Because of its World Cup victory, U.S. soccer experts expect the women's team to bring in $5 million in profit this fiscal year. The men's team will lose about $1 million.

Speaking of losses, for so-called "friendly" exhibition matches, the women earn nothing for a loss or tie, while the men's players earn a minimum of $5,000 per game, no matter the outcome.

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