Jun 22, 2019 3 min read

US Soccer, women’s team to mediate suit

U.S. Soccer and players for the women’s national team have tentatively agreed to mediate a lawsuit that accuses the federation of gender discrimination and seeks equitable pay.

The federation and representatives for the players confirmed the agreement, first reported in the Wall Street Journal, to pursue mediation following the Women’s World Cup.

“Here to win a World Cup, lawyers are at home to do their thing, so we both have our jobs,” defender Kelley O’Hara said Saturday. “This team has always been good at compartmentalizing. We focus on the task at hand and I haven’t paid any mind on anything that’s been going on. That’s something we’ll pick back up when we get home but right now my only focus is winning the World Cup.”

The United States, the defending champion and three-time World Cup winner, won its first three games of the tournament and is set to play Spain on Monday in the knockout stage. The championship game is set for July 7 in Lyon.

Twenty-eight members of the current player pool filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in March. The lawsuit alleges “institutionalized gender discrimination” that includes inequitable compensation when compared with their counterparts on the men’s national team.

“While we welcome the opportunity to mediate, we are disappointed the plaintiffs’ counsel felt it necessary to share this news publicly during the Women’s World Cup and create any possible distraction from the team’s focus on the tournament and success on the field,” U.S. Soccer said in a statement.

NHL salary cap lower than expected

The NHL salary cap for next season has been set at $81.5 million, which is $1.5 lower than initially projected.

The league and the NHL Players’ Association announced the figure Saturday, a day before teams can begin meeting with prospective unrestricted free agents ahead of the signing period opening July 1. The cap rose by $2 million from last season, though teams at or near the maximum were counting additional room in order to sign or re-sign players.

The cap crunch was notable in leading to several teams shedding high-priced salaries during the second and final day of the NHL draft Saturday. The most high-profile trade involved Nashville dealing defenseman P.K. Subban to New Jersey.

Women’s World Cup

Ingrid Engen hit the decisive penalty kick and Norway beat Australia in a shootout Saturday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup.

Australia captain Sam Kerr, who was frustrated by Norway most of the night despite some opportunities, fired her penalty shot over the bar. Emily Gielnik had her effort saved as Norway won the shootout 4-1 after the match had finished 1-1.

Norway will face the winner of Sunday’s game between England and Cameroon.

Ortiz out of intensive care

David Ortiz’s wife says he has moved out of intensive care.

Tiffany Ortiz said in a statement distributed by the Red Sox on Saturday that the ex-Boston slugger remains hospitalized and in good condition, almost two weeks after he was shot in the back while at a club in the Dominican Republic.

Ortiz was flown to Boston the next day for treatment.

Dominican prosecutors say Ortiz was attacked in a case of mistaken identity by a gunman who was hired to kill an auto shop owner.