The women’s teams USA and of England they showed this Friday to the almost 77,000 fans of Wembley, before their friendly match, a poster with the message “let’s protect the players”, a way to reiterate the need to “end the sexual violence“highlighted the American coach Vlatko Andonovski.
They did so after the recent publication of a report that described a Systematic abuse of players in the United States Women’s Professional Soccer League (NWSL)with several members who are part of the US team.
“It was an extremely difficult week for everyone and I’m proud of the players for being on the pitch, it wasn’t easy, some of them were in those environments, they lived those things, I applaud their courage and their mentalityonce again they showed that nothing can stop them from playing the sport they love,” Andonovski said at the press conference after the 1-2 loss at Wembley.
In the run-up to the match, the players from the USA and England came together and they taught a Wembley packed with fans the message “let’s protect the players”a gesture that provoked a heartfelt applause from the public.
“It was a special moment when the players got together and showed the poster. It gave me goosebumps to see the support of the fans who applauded that moment. I think it was amazing,” she stated.
“We sent a message, we have to stop sexual violence and once again the players did a phenomenal job of using this match as a platform to fight this.”
Report reveals systematic abuse of female players
The NWSL is the scene of systematic abuse at all levels towards its players and its highest authorities have repeatedly ignored the accusations in this regardsays a report published this Monday and commissioned by the US Federation (USSF).
This report is different from another ongoing investigation by the NWSL and the Women’s League Players Association (NWSLPA).
The independent investigation commissioned by the USSF and carried out by the law firm King & Spalding paints a picture in which verbal and emotional abuse towards female soccer players and inappropriate sexual behavior exceed the limits of “hard” training and are common from lower to higher categories.
In the nearly 200 interviews with retired and active players, coaches, club owners or staff manipulative tactics were exposed that were more a matter of abuse of power that of improvement of the game and a worrying pattern of sexual comments, unwanted touching or coercive sexual relations.
The teams, the League and the Federation “not only consistently failed to respond adequately when they were confronted with complaints from the players and samples of abuse, but also when establishing measures to prevent and deal with it,” emphasizes that 36-page document.
As a result of this lack of vigilance, coaches responsible for these abuses moved from team to team without anyone stopping their contracts, whitewashed by press releases in which the clubs thanked them for the services provided.
The document focuses on three technicians -Paul Riley, Rory Dames and Christy Holly- to illustrate the seriousness of the phenomenon, but remember that last season half of the ten teams in the League parted ways with their coaches after complaints from the players.
De Dames, for example, his players in the junior Chicago Eclipse Select remember that called them “whores”, “retards” or “fat ass” and that “on multiple occasions he crossed the line into sexual relations.”
Once in the Chicago Red Stars, inside the League, created a hostile environment with verbal abuse during games, the report says.
