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