顶级女子足球运动员带我们去球场踢足球

Top Women’s Soccer Players Take US Soccer to Court

All 28 members of the World Cup champion U.S. women’s national soccer team have taken legal action against the United States Soccer Federation¹. They claim the organization pays them less than male players and denies them equal training, travel and playing conditions.

The women filed their lawsuit² in Los Angeles on Friday, which was International Women’s Day. The case claims gender³-based discrimination by the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF).

In most of the world, the sport is called football.

The action comes just three months before the American women will defend their title at the Women’s World Cup in France.

The players say they have faced ongoing⁴ “institutionalized gender discrimination” including unequal pay. The women also say they have the same responsibilities as players on the U.S. men’s national team. They are seeking equal pay and treatment, along with payment for lost earnings⁵ over the years.

The U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association was not part of the lawsuit. However, its representatives said in a statement that the association “supports the plaintiffs’ goal of eliminating gender-based discrimination by USSF.”

Alex Morgan, a member of the women’s team, said in a prepared statement, “Each of us is extremely proud to wear the United States jersey⁶, and we also take seriously the responsibility that comes with that. We believe that fighting for gender equality in sports is a part of that responsibility.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation did not immediately comment on Friday.

When the team The U.S. women’s soccer team has seen great international successes, including three World Cup championships and four Olympic gold medals.

When the team won its most recent World Cup title in 2015, it was the most-watched soccer game in American television history.

I'm Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

lawsuit - n. a process by which a court of law makes a decision to end a disagreement between people or organizations

gender - n. the state of being male or female

title - n. the status or position of being the champion in a sport or other competition

plaintiff - n. a person who sues another person or accuses another person of a crime in a court of law

eliminate - v. to remove (something that is not wanted or needed) : to get rid of (something)

proud - adj. very happy and pleased because of something you have done, something you own, someone you know or are related to, etc. :feeling pride

jersey - n. a loose shirt worn by a member of a sports team as part of a uniform

1 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

2 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

3 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

4 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

5 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

6 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。