Thread by @axios

⚽️ The next few months could be among the most important in American women's soccer history, with significant change on the horizon for both the National Women's Soccer League and U.S. national team.

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👩‍⚖️ Collective bargaining agreements tend to be tedious, and lawsuits can drag on. But as 2022 approaches, that's where the action is.

Interest in women's sports has been on the rise for years, and there's a sense that we've reached a turning point. axios.com/nwsl-uswnt-wom…

📜 The USWNT roster for a pair of friendlies against Australia this month offers a glimpse of the future.

Just 10 of the 22 players headed to Australia were on the Tokyo 2020 team. axios.com/uswnt-friendli…

✅ Exclusive poll: More Americans can name a U.S. Women's National Team player than a player on the men's team. axios.com/poll-soccer-us…

🎤 U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone tells Axios that “we’re on the same side” as USWNT on equal pay axios.com/cindy-parlow-c…

💰 The U.S. Soccer Federation announced in September that it offered both teams the same proposal in an effort to align them under a single collective bargaining agreement.

Complicating things is that the men and women have long had different priorities. axios.com/uswnt-usmnt-cb…

☢️ Over in the NWSL, the recent championship was a microcosm of the season — superlative play on the field with institutional failures off of it.

Two coaches were fired for harassment and emotional abuse allegations. axios.com/nwsl-offseason…

🔮 The U.S. has had three women's professional soccer leagues in two decades, with the first two each lasting just three seasons.

But the NWSL may be on a different path — that is, if the league puts players' demands and concerns front and center. axios.com/nwsl-women-soc…