Hot Cakes & Hot Takes Key Articles of The Week I 6 Min Read

Hot Cakes & Hot Takes Key Articles of The Week

The US team beat Sweden in its first game under Andonovski last Thursday. Source: The New York Times

U.S. Women Soccer Team Granted Class Status in Equal Pay Lawsuit

Judge R. Gary Klausner of United States District Court for the Central District of California has granted the players class status.

The decision has not yet been made if the 28 plaintiffs' allegations against US Soccer Federation were true or if there has been a violation of federal law. However, this is a recognition and validation of the battle the U.S. women soccer players have been leading for other soccer players as well as paving the way for other athletes both in the US and internationally.

“We have an internal belief in what we’re doing. But to have someone, and in this case someone very important in this case, say, ‘I believe what you’re saying,’ is very important.”

Megan Rapinoe

This is an important achievement for the campaign against unequal working conditions and unequal pay in women's sports. Congratulations to all of us!

English women attract record crowd

Lucy Bronze of England battling for the ball at Wembley in London on November 9. Source: AP news

This is big: 77 768. The biggest crowd the England or Germany team has ever played in front of. 

“We have earned the right to be playing in front of 77,000 people at Wembley because ultimately we have put hours and hours of graft and finally women’s football is on the map.”

England's forward Nikita Parris

Although the hosts lost to Germany 2:1, this match still deserves to be celebrated. Wembley was a sell-out with 86 619 tickets sold but less people showed up because of the weather. This is the third biggest audience for the game worldwide, first two being U.S. team beating China in 1999 in California (90 000 viewers) and U.S. defeat Japan during the Olympics in 2012 (80 000). Congratulations to all of us! 

Andonovski aware of expectations as new USWNT coach

Vlatko Andonovski Source: NBC Sports

The new coach of the U.S. women national team says the standards are set very high for him by the team itself and his predecessor, Jill Ellis who was hired to win the World Cup and ended up winning two.

According to Kate Markgraf, the team's first general manager, they worked hard to find the right person for the job. The team held a camp before the two exhibition matches, one of which took place this week as U.S. beat Sweden in their first game under Andonovski. They are on their way to qualify for the Olympics 2020 in Tokyo.

Andonovski also added how humbled he was to receive a warm welcome from the players on the team.

Lamoureux twins have new motivation to return to Team USA

Monique Lamoureux-Morando, left, and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson. Source: espn.com

Lamoureux sisters are among almost 200 hundred players boycotting professional hockey in hope of achieving a sustainability and equality breakthrough in the league. They became leaders for the players back in 2017 when they fought for maternity benefits on players' contracts. Now that the women's hockey team's contract with US Hockey is about to be renewed in 2021, they are planning to be vocal in the negotiations once again.

In the article, the sisters talk about their maternity, experience of coming back to the game after giving birth, adapting their changed bodies to the game, and the amount of time they have to travel to earn money while they still can during a short time that window is open for female athletes.