U.S. Soccer Sues Women's Team

Nothing like a lawsuit to take the glow off a World Cup.

Just seven months after the United States Women's team routed Japan, 5-2, to capture its first World Cup since 1999, U.S. Soccer has sued its most successful and glamorous team. Sort of.  As reported by Andrew Das of the New York Times and Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated, the sport's governing body ran into court in Chicago seeking a declaration that the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the players union did not expire until the end of 2016. 

A declaratory judgment action does not seek damages but merely asks a court to determine the rights of parties.  Declaratory judgment suits are commonly used to interpret insurance policies and other contracts.

The last agreement expired in 2012 but, according to U.S. Soccer, has been extended by a memorandum of understanding signed in March 2013.  But back in December, Richard Nichols, executive director of the players union, said the memorandum was invalid as a collective bargaining agreement and would expire on February 24.  Apparently U.S. Soccer interpreted that as a threat of a strike because the CBA contained a no strike clause.  Nonsense, Nichols told Das earlier this week.  “There were no threats about strikes or work stoppages.”  He aid the players were merely “reserved our legal rights.”

So, apparently, is the organization.  The last thing it needs is for its popular women's team to walk out in an Olympic year.  The women have lost only once in the last year, in a friendly with China back in December.  On Wednesday they begin their Olympic qualifying tournament with a match against Costa Rico in Frisco, Texas.