By J1 Reporter Evelyn Paul

     The deafening roar of the crowd is all that can be heard in the stadium as Morgan Brian passes to midfielder Tobin Heath. The stadium goes silent as she runs up to the goal, everything seems to go in slow motion. The crowd goes insane as Heath scores the seventh point of the match. The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team has won the 2015 World Cup against Japan.

     After the 2015 Women’s World Cup, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team started the fight for equal pay. They filed a wage-discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation. Despite the fact that the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team brought in about $20 million in revenue, they still got paid about a quarter of what the men earn.

     Junior soccer player Megan Valenzuela agrees with the methods being taken by  the Women’s Soccer team. “I believe that bringing attention to the public in many ways is exactly what they need to do,” Valenzuela said.

     According to ThinkProgress, when the U.S. Men’s team lost in the first round of the World Cup in 2014, the team earned $9 million. The German Men’s team won the World Cup in 2014 and earned $35 million. However, when the women’s team won the World Cup in 2015, they only earned $2 million. While a woman player ranked 25th highest paid would receive $341,000, a man in the same rank would receive $580,000.

     The argument that the U.S. Soccer Federation gave is that overall the men’s team brings in much more revenue. Between 2008 and 2015, the men have brought in about $144 million compared to the women’s $53 million.

      “I heard about it through various types of social media,” Valenzuela said. She feels that it is truly inspiring and that it brings attention to gender equality problems.

     “I believe that bringing attention to the public in many ways is exactly what they need to do.”

     All the women’s team wants are equal pay and equal treatment. The fight has been going on for about two years now. They continue to fight and continue to get no response or correction to the problem.

“I definitely agree with what [U.S. Women’s Soccer Team] are trying to do. One reason is because they have been much more successful than the men’s soccer team and the other reason being that gender equality is prevalent in 2016, so why not enforce it?”             

         Junior Soccer Player Megan Valenzuela