UPDATE 2-Top women's soccer players sue U.S. Soccer for gender discrimination

All members of the reigning World Cup champion U.S. women's soccer team sued the U.S. national soccer federation on Friday, claiming the organization pays them less than male players and denies them equal training, travel and playing conditions. The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Los Angeles on International Women's Day, came three years after several players filed a similar complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

"In light of our team's unparalleled success on the field, it's a shame that we still are fighting for treatment that reflects our achievements and contributions to the sport," said U.S. co-captain Carli Lloyd. The players, a group that also includes the likes of Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, say they have been consistently paid less money than their male counterparts even though their performance has been superior to the men's team.

U.S. Soccer did not immediately respond when asked to comment on the lawsuit, which comes three months before the women's team opens its World Cup title defense in France. The issues brought up in the lawsuit also include the medical treatment and coaching they receive as well as how often they play and the way in which they traveled to matches.

The U.S. women's team has enjoyed unparalleled success in international soccer, including three World Cup titles, four Olympic gold medals and numerous other international competitions. When the women's team clinched their most recent World Cup title in 2015, it was the most watched soccer game in American TV history with an audience of approximately 23 million viewers.

"We feel a responsibility not only to stand up for what we know we deserve as athletes, but also for what we know is right – on behalf of our teammates, future teammates, fellow women athletes, and women all around the world," said Rapinoe. In 2017, the U.S. women's national hockey team threatened to boycott that year's world championship but returned to the ice after settling a dispute with USA Hockey over wages and better benefits in line with their male counterparts. (Reporting by Joseph Ax and Frank Pingue Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis and Susan Thomas)

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