Women's soccer stars ask bosses to let fans take day off to watch quarterfinal game: 'It's gonna be a big one!'
The U.S. Women’s Soccer team wants all their fans to watch what is sure to be an “epic” Women’s World Cup quarterfinal game— the only problem is the match is set to take place when many Americans will be hard at work.
So, USWNT stars Kelley O’Hara and Allie Long took it upon themselves to pen a handwritten note to employers across the county to allow their fans to take the day off so they can “bust out all their USA gear and mentally prep” for the team’s big game.
what @kelleymohara & @ALLIE_LONG promise, they deliver. pic.twitter.com/YH2B8Bk3Yr
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 27, 2019
The U.S. Women’s Soccer team posted the letter and a video of the pair writing a draft of the note on Twitter early June 27 ahead of the quarterfinal game on Friday, June 28.
“So, I think we need to write a note to get people out of work,” O’Hara suggests in the video. Long agrees, “100 percent,” but wonders if American employers will listen to them. To that, O’Hara simply replies, “They have to... We’re in a world cup.”
O’Hara begins drafting the letter in a notebook, addressing the letter to “bosses and supervisors.”
“In case you’re living under a rock...This Friday, June 28th is our World Cup quarterfinal vs. France and it's gonna be a BIG ONE!” the players wrote in a note tweeted from the U.S. Women’s Soccer account.
The players went on to write, “We kindly ask that you give every employee the day so that they can eat a hearty lunch, get emotionally ready, bust out all their USA gear, and mentally prep for what will be an EPIC GAME!”
Defender O’Hara and midfielder Long ended the note by assuring American employers that USWNT fans would be back to work on Monday—“maybe,” the pair joke, sending “all our love.”
Quarterfinal game on Friday at 3pm ET. When so many will be at work.
what to do… 🤔
we have something to help with that. pic.twitter.com/DOrYTXyc0m— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 27, 2019
The U.S team reached the quarterfinal after defeating Spain 2-1 on Monday in penalty kicks. France also advanced with a 2-1 win against Brazil in extra time Sunday night.
The team hopes to garner as much support for their match against France in the Women’s World Cup quarterfinals at 3 p.m. ET so they can advance to the semifinals. Many Americans are hopeful that the women’s soccer team will take home gold...Again.
Despite their wild successes on the field, the female world champions are still fighting to get the same pay as the U.S. men’s soccer team, who have not advanced as far as the women’s team and have generated less revenue from their games than the women, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Before the World Cup, the U.S. Women’s Team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation alleging unfair pay on International Women’s Day this year.
“Each of us is extremely proud to wear the United States jersey, and we also take seriously the responsibility that comes with that,” forward Alex Morgan said in a statement obtained by ESPNW. “We believe that fighting for gender equality in sports is a part of that responsibility. As players, we deserved to be paid equally for our work, regardless of our gender.”
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