Equal play deserves equal pay

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, the reigning World Cup soccer champs, are now to get the same pay as the U.S. men’s team (“US Soccer reaches milestone agreement for equal pay for women’s and men’s teams — plus World Cup prize money,” May 18). It’s long overdue and marks another win in the battle for equal pay for women. It must be noted that the previous employment contracts with the United States Soccer Federation were based on the large disparity in the amount of money generated by the men’s game as compared to that generated by the women’s, but that has nothing to do with the game being played. As a lifelong football (soccer) fan, I can attest that the women’s game is every bit as gripping and entertaining as the men’s game. The game is the same — the strategy, the skills, the intensity — especially among the teams at the highest levels. For the players, both men and women, it’s the same conditioning, the same practices, the same scheduling. The pay must be the same!