All five scheduled National Women’s Soccer League matches are cancelled, announced the NWSL. Not for previous reasons like COVID-19 or taking a stand against racism, but for players demanding better protected from the league.
Click here to read the full statement. It comes a day after past allegations came to light, with league leadership not stepping up to protect its players.
Thursday, The Athletic published the story of Sinead Farrelly and Meleana Shim, two former professionals who played for former coach Paul Riley. In the article, NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird received multiple emails from the victims. Baird pushed both of them away. This in part because of a 2015 investigation that closed without legal ramifications against Riley.
That investigation came six years before the league had a formal anti-harassment policy for the players themselves. Baird and the league wouldn’t reopen the cases. Baird released a statement, following the story. In part, Baird said she was “shocked and disgusted to read the new allegations reported in the Athletic this morning.”
The North Carolina Courage fired Riley. Also, Baird’s pleading ignorance to the details of the story created shockwaves.
Orlando Pride star Alex Morgan retweeted Baird’s statement with copies of an email sent to the commissioner, by Farrelly.
That tweet sent more even more shockwaves. Megan Rapinoe publicly blasted the league for protecting the wrong people.
Just three hours later, the Washington Post published a piece about former OL Reign manager Farid Benstiti. Benstiti had allegations against him from players on the Reign, and he resigned on July 2. It took four months for the news to break that he harassed OL Reign players.
Benstiti had similar allegations from past clubs. The NWSL still hired Benstiti. Riley had the same experience, getting a new job in the league after the 2015 investigation.
Friday, the players reached their breaking point. At noon, the NWSL the cancellation of all weekend matches. Coincidentally enough, it was the same time both the league and players scheduled to continue collective bargaining talks.
There’s no official word, as of publishing, on if the matches will be cancelled or rescheduled.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the NWSL. Thomas Costello is on Twitter @1ThomasCostello.
