US Soccer Hall of Fame inductees praise equal pay agreement

FRISCO, Texas. (AP) — Shannon Boxx, Christie Pearce Rampone and Linda Hamilton all celebrated this week's landmark equal pay agreement with U.S. Soccer as the three women were enshrined Saturday in the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

"As the women’s national team, we have always known we have a greater responsibility than just winning games. The newest contract is a testament to the work the past and the present players have done off the field," Boxx said. “As a Black athlete, I also felt the responsibility to every young Black girl and boy who’s sitting in the stands or watching on TV.”

Clint Dempsey, Marco Etcheverry and Esse Baharmast were also inducted in the ceremony at the Hall of Fame at Toyota Stadium, home of FC Dallas.

U.S. soccer announced earlier this week it had reached collective bargaining agreements with both the men's and women's teams to equalize their pay going forward. The two teams agreed to share World Cup prize money.

“The history lesson of this is, a couple of days ago there was that equality pay (agreement), but maybe some of you don’t actually know where we started. When we won the World Cup in 1991, we made $15 a day. That was the per diem, no salaries. No bonuses. It was $15 a day," Hamilton said. “So I think about that. And I think we weren’t winning for the money, obviously. But we wanted to be competitors.”

Dempsey, a three-time U.S. Soccer Federation Player of the Year, is tied with Landon Donovan for the U.S. record of 57 international goals. Donovan made 141 appearances for the national team from 2004-17. He played for New England (2004-06), Fulham (2017-12), Tottenham (2012-13) and Seattle (2013-18), and his 82nd-minute chip against Juventus put Fulham into the 2010 Europa League quarterfinals.

Dempsey sobbed as he thanked his parents...