Women's World Cup reffing controversies are exposing soccer's two most flawed rules

Sometimes all it takes is a spotlight.

More eyes. Higher stakes.

Sometimes they are necessary to illuminate deep-seated flaws, of which soccer has many. And already this June, in a span of nine days, two major events have done just that.

First came the Champions League final. Then, this weekend, the Women's World Cup. Both have given rise to refereeing controversies that have an entire sport quarreling with itself. The latest came Sunday. Not 12 minutes into England's World Cup opener against Scotland, Fran Kirby served up a cross from the edge of the penalty area.

Scottish defender Nicola Docherty was two yards away.

The ball struck Docherty's arm.

After a video review, England was awarded a penalty.

And a wide range of emotions, from confusion to anger, swirled with equal venom across the soccer globe.

Reasonable minds all agree: This should not be a handball. Certainly not in the box. There is no intent. Docherty's arm is in a natural position. She has no time to avoid ball-to-arm contact.

And yet VAR, the video review system t hat has split opinions ever since it was introduced, disagreed.

So fans lashed out at it. Just as they have done for over a year now.

But VAR, a system designed to ensure rule enforcement, isn't the problem. The rules themselves are.

VAR has exposed the handball rule ...

VAR isn't ruining soccer. It's actually exposing two glaring flaws that have existed in the sport's rulebook for decades. Only now, with any contentious incident rolled back 10 times in slo-mo and re-litigated, are those flaws coming to light.

The handball rule has been murky for over a century. Enf orcement was largely governed by unwritten interpretation. The law keys in on the word "deliberate," but nobody quite knew how to define "deliberate." In commentary booths and on social media, "unnatural position" entered the lexicon, but there is no specific definition for that either.

The vagueness allowed referees to make calls situationally, narrowing those definitions in penalty boxes and widening them in midfield. The gray areas were endless and problematic, but the equilibrium palatable – becau se ignored handballs in 18-yard boxes, provided they didn't deny clear goalscoring opportunities, were far less impactful than penalized ones.

But VAR has stripped referees of their interpretive leeway. It has lent power to a rulebook built on ambiguous foundations, incapable of handling the responsibility.

The result is madness – madness that extends beyond the handball rule, into a broader domain: the penalty.

... And, more broadly, the penalty rule

The real problem here isn't specific to handballs. It's that when they occur in the area, the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

That cross that Kirby hit on Sunday? Had it not been blocked, its expected value was still a tiny fraction of a goal. Because it happened to strike a Scottish arm, its worth multiplied exponentially, to roughly 0.75 goals – or whatever Nikita Parris' penalt y conversion rate is.

That, when you think about it, is completely absurd. It's mind-bogglingly stupid. Illogical. Backwards.

The incentives are so perverse that players in Kirby's position, or Sadio Mane's eight days earlier, will soon come to realize: Aiming for an opponent's arm is a more effective strategy than trying to pick out a tea mmate at the back post. Mane probably didn't do that last Saturday, but he might as well have.

Is this how we want the beautiful game to be played?

A similar incentive already compels forwards to hurl themselves to the ground under minimal contact rather than have an off-balance shot at goal. It's an awful trend – but, from a player's perspective, a rational one.

The onus, therefore, isn't on them to reform their ways. It's on soccer's lawmakers to rethink a rule that is only in place because, well, it has been since the 1890s. And because this sport is so senselessly resistant to change.

How the penalty rule should be overhauled

The penalty box is an extremely arbitrary thing. Why, for example, should a foul occurring here be a free kick from this exact position ...

Story continues

... but a foul occurring here be an unobstructed one, 12 yards out from the center of the goal?

The 18-yard box itself can remain for goalkeeper handling purposes. But any foul, handball or otherwise, that does not deny a clear goalscoring opportunity should simply be a direct free kick from the spot of the foul.

The only other tweak required would be an expansion of the definition of "denying a clear goalscoring opportunity," enough to discourage pervasive tactical fouling. This would make punishments proportional to crimes.

How the handball rule should be changed

As for the handball rule, its scope should be reduced. Only intentional ones should be whistled, no matter where on the field they occur. As long as players aren't swat ting at balls, or blocking them like a keeper would, or picking them up and running like an American footballer would, why, exactly, do we need to police them so strictly?

Now, "intentional," to be clear, would include even the slightest instinctive movement of the arm into a position that could possibly make it more likely to come into contact with the ball. But that 50/50 challenge in midfield where the ball randomly pops up and hits an arm? Please, just play on. Even if it puts the handling player at a disadvantage .

But this is the less important suggestion. The penalty rethink is urgent.

VAR, for the most part, has worked. It corrects egregious errors. Unfortunately, itcame with unintended consequences. Those consequences, however, can largely be remedied with a change that, frankly, is long overdue.

We ju st needed major tournaments and VAR to make us realize as much.

– – – – – – –

Henry Bushnell is a features writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Question? Comment? Email him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter @HenryBushnell, and on Facebook.

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Players seeking recognition, respect for their sport at Women's World Cup

PARIS — Seizing on the once-in-every-four-years spectacle, teams at the Women's World Cup are hoping that the attention the sport will get in France will bring about change at home.

But it's not just about soccer. It's about respect.

For the defending champion U.S. women's team, that means a focus on the players' fight for equitable pay. For Australia, that means increased prize money for the most prestigious tournament in women's soccer. And for Jamaica, it means more support for the athletes from a federation that let the team go unfunded, and as a result, dormant, for years.

"It certainly is a platform. It's the biggest stage that we have," Megan Rapinoe said while discussing the U.S. team's ongoing fight. "It's a balance, though, because first and foremost, I think we have this platform and it's as big as it has been because we've been so successful, and on the biggest stages we've been successful."

The U.S. is the defending champion and a three-time winner of the World Cup, which kicks off Friday in Paris. Twenty-four teams will crisscross France over the next month, with the winner decided in Lyon on July 7.

Jamaica, the first Caribbean nation to qualify for a Women's World Cup, is among those teams. The Reggae Girlz want to change the perception of the women's game in a nation that traditionally hasn't valued it: Funding was cut when the team didn't qualify for the 2008 Olympics. The team was revived just five years ago.

Like many teams in the region, Jamaica's women have struggled for basic support, even equipment. There's been little or no compensation for players.

Coach Hue Menzies said the team's first-ever appearance in the World Cup is "actually a cause."

"We want to make an impact socially," Menzies said.

The Americans are largely seen as the leaders when it comes to tackling equity issues — using their status as the top-ranked team in the world. Players have filed a federal lawsuit that accuses the U.S. Soccer federation of discrimination and seeks compensation that's equitable with compensation for the men's national team.

U.S. defender Becky Sauerbrunn sees this World Cup as a turning point.

"I think we have so much further to go, but I think we're at that point right now where, for women's soccer and for this tournament, it's, 'How much can we push this and raise this further? How much more can we get the neutral fan to become the die-hard fan?' Can we get the investors to go from 'Maybe we'll invest in this,' to 'We're absolutely investing in this because we see this as an untapped marketplace?' So I think this is kind of a critical point for us, where we can really take some strides that maybe we wouldn't be able to in a non-World Cup year," Sauerbrunn said.

U.S. coach Jill Ellis was the first to declare that video review should be used at the Women's World Cup after it was used for the first time in 2018 for the men's tournament in Russia. Ellis has also criticized FIFA, soccer's international governing body, for scheduling the finals for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the Copa America on the same day as the World Cup championship game.

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Golden Knights owner Bill Foley eyes MLS team for Raiders stadium

A hedge fund manager from Boston might not be the only billionaire interested in bringing a Major League Soccer expansion franchise to Las Vegas.

Two independent sources confirmed to the Review-Journal on Tuesday night that Golden Knights owner Bill Foley has engaged in discussions the past several months to land an MLS team that would play in the new Raiders stadium.

Foley could not be reached for comment, but Raiders owner Mark Davis did not discount the idea of the team's 65,000-seat domed stadium, set to open in 2020, being home to the MLS.

"We have 365 days a year to fill in the stadium," Davis said. "We will hopefully be using it for eight (regular-season) dates plus all our playoff games. So that leaves around 353, and then there is (UNLV football).

"Major League Soccer and other events would be at the top off our list to help fill those remaining dates. We are open to listening to anything. We owe that to ourselves and the community."

When asked if the Raiders and Foley had engaged in talks about an MLS franchise playing in the stadium, Davis said: "I'd prefer not to speak about anyone who has approached us."

A third source told the Review-Journal that Foley could potentially partner with another party — not the Raiders — on the MLS deal.

This news comes just days after it was announced the City Council will consider on Wednesday whether or not to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement with Renaissance Companies Inc. on a deal to build a new MLS stadium on the site of Cashman Field.

In that instance, billionaire Seth Klarman of the Baupost Group, a Boston-based private investment partnership he founded in 1982, would purchase the Las Vegas Lights and then pursue an MLS team.

That would entail Klarman paying a league expansion fee in the range of $250 million and then building the soccer-specific stadium, which would be at least another $200 million.

If approved Wednesday, the agreement would be with Renaissance, representing Klarman's interests, for a 180-day negotiating period to create a master plan to develop the 62 acres where Cashman Field exists.

Your typical MLS stadium sits on 10 to 15 acres.

The situation of two competing parties for an MLS team has precedent, as the league entertained two competing expansion bids in Minnesota in 2015.

Dr. Bill McGuire, owner of then second-division Minnesota United of the North American Soccer League, centered his pitch on building a soccer-specific stadium. Minnesota Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf pitched housing the expansion team in a NFL venue: U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened in 2016 and hosted the 2018 Super Bowl.

McGuire won out, and the $250 million, privately financed, 19,500-seat Allianz Field opened in April during Minnesota United's third MLS season.

Team would be tenant

Davis said any MLS team that would play in the NFL stadium would be considered a tenant and have to negotiate any potential revenue streams with the Raiders.

"We have been tenants in the (Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum) and you have seen how that worked out," Davis said. "It's one of the reasons we wanted this new stadium, to be in control of it, whether it's for football or soccer or a concert. "I don't know very much about the MLS as a league, because I have been so focused on the Raiders and Las Vegas, but I think pro soccer as a complimentary event would be fantastic. Along with the MLS, you could have international games with some great teams playing games in the stadium.

"Listen, if the deal with the city works out and it's decided the best thing is for an MLS stadium to be built downtown, I think that's great, too. We want whatever is best for Las Vegas. It seems as though the Lights have done a really good job with their fan base. But we also have over 300 dates to fill, so I'm not dissuaded at all to listen to anyone who approaches us."

Contact columnist Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard on "The Press Box," ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.

Ben Gotz can be reached at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.

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Liverpool rises to the top of European soccer

MADRID — No tears of pain this time, just redemption for Mohamed Salah.

Only 1:48 was needed to banish the Champions League final heartbreak of a year ago.

Once Salah dispatched his early penalty against Tottenham, Liverpool was on the path to a sixth European title with a 2-0 victory Saturday night.

And a year after losing in the final to Real Madrid, Juergen Klopp has his first title after four years as Liverpool manager.

A shoulder injury forced Salah out of the showpiece last year. This time it was Tottenham midfielder Moussa Sissoko's arm that gifted Liverpool the early penalty opening – blocking Sadio Mane's shot after 21 seconds – and Salah converted from the spot after a video review check.

"I have sacrificed a lot for my career," Salah said. "To come from a village, to go to Cairo, and to be an Egyptian at this level is unbelievable for me."

On a hot and humid night in Madrid, Tottenham came to life only in the final 20 minutes of its first European Cup final.

But Liverpool completed the job in the 87th minute thanks to one of its semifinal saviors.

Divock Origi had to accept a place back on the bench despite producing two goals while deputizing for the injured Salah last month. But the substitute had the final big say, rifling a left-footed shot inside the far post.

"Every single player fought hard today," Origi said. "So it's just special."

After two losing finals since triumphing in 2005, Liverpool finally rose to third in the all-time list of European champions behind 13-time winner Real Madrid and AC Milan on seven titles.

Few fans – even from Liverpool – will want to watch just how it was achieved. Both sides had gone three weeks without playing. It showed.

"When we look back on tonight we aren't going to think it was a sluggish game," Liverpool-born defender Trent Alexander-Arnold said. "We are going to think we have just won the European Cup."

Tottenham, which finished 26 points behind Premier League runner-up Liverpool in fourth place, couldn't even get a shot on target until the 73rd minute. That's when Alisson Becker scooped up a spinning shot from Dele Alli, and then made a double-save from Son Heung-min and Moura with 10 minutes to go.

"You have a goalkeeper who makes difficult things look easy," Klopp said. "Thank you very much."

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Americans ready for battle on pitch, in courtroom

The world's best player won't be at the Women's World Cup, but the world's best team will be, with both sides taking a stand for equality.

The U.S. national team, ranked No. 1 globally, will try to defend its title in soccer's premier tournament, which kicks off Friday in Paris. While the Americans make their way around France for the monthlong event, back at home they're all part of a lawsuit that accuses U.S. Soccer of gender discrimination.

Meanwhile, Ada Hegerberg , the first female Ballon d'Or winner for the world's top player, won't be accompanying Norway's national team. She stepped away in 2017 because of what she perceives to be a general disregard for women's soccer by the country's federation. The crux of her frustration is the uneven pace of progress and strategy in the women's game.

Hegerberg, 23, is at the top of her game. She had a hat trick for Lyon in its 4-1 win over Barcelona in the recent Women's Champions League final. In domestic games, she has 211 goals in 208 games.

"We are happy for this debate to raise attention and respect for women's soccer in the world, and I do view it as a big change-maker." said Lise Klaveness, sporting director for the Norwegian Football Federation, "But I just wish she was in our team."

The U.S. team hopes to collectively be a difference-maker, too.

Twenty-eight members of the current player pool filed the lawsuit on March 8 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, alleging "institutionalized gender discrimination" that includes inequitable compensation when compared with their counterparts on the men's national team.

Because the lawsuit is still in the early stages, it's likely no significant movement will be made until the team returns home.

Megan Rapinoe was asked whether the pay issue puts more pressure on the team — which will already be facing a strong field looking to topple the three-time World Cup winners.

"I think that the huge media splash of the lawsuit is behind us and we're obviously focused on the World Cup," Rapinoe said. "But also it's like this is our life and there are a lot of things that we have to grapple and deal with: Family, friends, partners, media, pressures, games, World Cup, travel. So it's just kind of just one more thing. This team always has a lot of media attention and we've always had a lot of things on our plate, so it's not like it's anything new, or all of a sudden we're getting all the more attention. It's sort of the same for us."

The 24-team tournament will be played at nine stadiums across France over the course of the next month, with the final set for July 7 in Lyon.

THE LAST TIME: The United States won the last World Cup in 2015. Carli Lloyd scored three goals in the first 16 minutes to help give the Americans a 5-2 victory over Japan for their third overall World Cup title, most for any nation since the tournament was introduced in 1991. England was a surprising third-place finisher in Canada.

VAR: In March, FIFA approved the use of video review for the World Cup in France. The Video Assistant Referee system, or VAR, was used at the men's World Cup in Russia last year.

PRIZE MONEY: The prize money for the World Cup will be $30 million (U.S.), of which $4 million will go to the federation of the champion. While the total is double the prize money for the 2015 Women's World Cup, it is a fraction of the $400 million in prize money for last year's men's World Cup, of which $38 million went to champion France. FIFA, soccer's international governing body, says prize money for the 2022 men's World Cup will be $440 million.

TICKET FIASCO: Some fans who ordered tickets to World Cup matches were surprised last month when they discovered their seats were not together. The issue was especially problematic for families bringing young children. After an outcry on social media, FIFA said it would work with the local organizing committee to resolve the issues.

Some fans recently reported tickets that had been delivered electronically were no longer available, with the message: "FIFA and the LOC are currently working on improving the seating arrangements for certain orders for a limited number of matches. If your order is affected, please expect to receive a dedicated communication shortly."

TOO MANY TOURNAMENTS: FIFA has also been criticized for scheduling the World Cup final on the same day as the Copa America final in Rio and the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in Chicago. U.S. coach Jill Ellis pointedly said: "In my own personal opinion, playing three big matches in one day isn't supporting the women's game. So, there you go."

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Liverpool 2018/19 Review: End of Season Report Card for the Reds

© OLI SCARFF/GettyImages TOPSHOT-FBL-EUR-C1-ENG-LIVERPOOL-TROPHY-PARADE

Goodness me, that was incredible.

With banging heads being nursed, skin being pinched and bosses everywhere sceptically reading messages about sudden illnesses (and definitely not hangovers) preventing employees from coming to work on Monday, let's take a look back at the year that was for Liverpool.

Here's an evaluation of the Reds' finest season in recent (and not so recent) memory with an overall grade for the report card.

League Performance Premier League - 2nd ​ © PAUL ELLIS/GettyImages FBL-ENG-PR-LIVERPOOL-ARSENAL

Pretty much perfect. Everyone saw that Jurgen Klopp's team had the potential to go up a gear or two after impressing in 2017/18, but closing a 25-point gap on ​Manchester City seemed like fantasy.

While the ​Reds fell just short of making the impossible a reality, it hardly felt like failure at all. 

Ultimately City's robotic brilliance, a Vincent Kompany wonder strike and the tightest of goalline decisions stopped Liverpool from lifting their first league title in 29 years, but really if you can't enjoy this season's achievements without a medal then maybe football isn't for you.

Liverpool registered their highest-ever Premier League points total (97) and third highest in the division's history, lost only one game all season (to the eventual champions) and took the title race to the final day. 

© Catherine Ivill/GettyImages Mohamed Salah,Sadio Mane

On an individual level, Mohamed Salah retained his Golden Boot, sharing it with teammate Sadio Mane, while Alisson won the Golden Glove and Virgil van Dijk was named PFA Player of the Year.

With 30 wins out of 38, there were plenty of highlights, but the victories over Everton, Arsenal and Tottenham, in particular, stand out.

Only the most pernickety of observers would criticise Liverpool's domestic campaign, with draws against Leicester and West Ham the 'lowest' points in a season that demanded perfectionism.

Carabao Cup - Third Round ​

© Jan Kruger/GettyImages Eden Hazard

The Carabao Cup has never been particularly high on Klopp's agenda, despite getting to the final in his first season as manager.

A second-string Liverpool were undone at home by Maurizio Sarri's ​Chelsea, with Eden Hazard taking centre stage way back in September.

The seemingly Madrid-bound Belgian scored one of his best goals in a Chelsea shirt to seal a 2-1 win at the death at Anfield, while the Blues went all the way to the final, gifting the world with Kepa-gate

No defeats are nice obviously, but this one was really more of a shrug, be grateful for less fixture congestion and move on.

FA Cup - Third Round ​

© Catherine Ivill/GettyImages Ki-Jana Hoever

Liverpool fared no better in the FA Cup this season, going out to ​Wolves (for the second season in a row) at Molineux in the third round.

Amid injuries to a host of defensive players, 16-year-old Ki-Jana Hoever even got a run out for Liverpool as they lost 2-1, courtesy of goals from Raul Jimenez and Ruben Neves.

The Reds have not gone further than the fourth round of the world's oldest cup competition under Klopp (last making the semis in 2015 and final in 2012) and you have to wonder if this is a tournament he will start taking more seriously next season.

Continental Cup Performance

Champions League - Winners ​

© OLI SCARFF/GettyImages FBL-EUR-C1-ENG-LIVERPOOL-TROPHY-PARADE

Let's talk about six, baby. 12 months on from the heartbreak of Kiev, Liverpool are European champions!

If 2017/18's European run seemed a tad fortuitous, 2018/19's proved Liverpool are clearly now one of the continent's very best sides and deserved winners.

Klopp's side survived another group stage scare, losing all three away games to Paris Saint-Germain, ​Napoli and Red Star Belgrade, meaning they had to a rely on a 1-0 victory over the Italians (and the thigh of Alisson) on the final gameweek to qualify for the knockouts.

From there on, however, it was vintage European Liverpool, as Bayern Munich and Porto were bested before one of the all-time great Champions League comebacks (or Red-montada) against Barcelona.

A sea of Liverpool fans made it to Madrid for the final, hoping to avenge the ghosts of Kiev in the city of their conquerors.

​Tottenham proved stern opponents, but Liverpool's experience and class shone through as they kept Spurs at arm's length after ​Salah's very early penalty.

It wasn't a pretty final, devoid of the big chances and huge controversy to entertain the neutrals, but Liverpool and Klopp will be delighted to take the perfectly boring victory after too many drama-heavy near misses in recent years.

There are no shortage of contenders for this, with nearly everyone playing their best season to date.

Alisson has reset the standard (and price tag) for an elite keeper, while lung-busters Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are arguably the best full backs in the world right now. With a combined total of 28 assists this season, the pair laid on almost 25% of all Liverpool's goals in 2018/19.

Less heralded stars like Joel Matip, Gini Wijnaldum, Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi all shone when it mattered, while Jordan Henderson demonstrated that having a funny run doesn't mean that much really. Salah's 'difficult' season resulted in a second Golden Boot and a goal in the Champions League final.

However, if I have to single someone out... I won't. Instead, let's give it to both Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane.

Van Dijk's price tag raised eyebrows 18 months ago, but he is now truly the best on the planet in his position and often looks like a different species of superhuman when casually brushing off strikers.

To sum up his ridiculous imperiousness this season, no player has completed a dribble past Van Dijk in 64 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool. Mad.

Mane, meanwhile, has established himself as the Reds' key attacker and has added a ruthlessness to his finishing that has been lacking in previous seasons. His goal against Bayern and back-heel chip against Watford were joys to behold.

Worst Player © Clive Brunskill/GettyImages Daniel Sturridge

No-one really disgraced themselves, while it feels somewhat petty to pick negatives out of this season, but nits must be picked for the purpose of this report card and Daniel Sturridge was ultimately a bit of a disappointment after a bright start.

After his belter against Chelsea, it looked like Sturridge might even have played his way into an unlikely contract extension before he quickly disappeared again, with Origi becoming Klopp's go-to attacking sub and the redemption story of the year.

Naby Keita too will be expected to pick up his form next year, after a slow transition to English football.

The Manager © Matthias Hangst/GettyImages Jurgen Klopp

As Henderson put it after the Champions League final, it would be ​'impossible' to imagine Liverpool winning the Champions League without Klopp.

This team is made in the German's image and he really is an absolutely perfect fit for the club, with his high-press attacking football now backed up with defensive steel and (at last) a trophy.

There is talk of ​a new contract. Most of Liverpool right now would be happy for it to be a lifetime one.

Overall Grade

Can it be anything else?​

A

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Quest for equity will be the theme of this Women’s World Cup

The world's best player won't be at the Women's World Cup but the world's best team will be, with both sides taking a stand for equality.

[ WOMEN'S WORLD CUP PREVIEW: Groups A, B and C | Groups D, E and F ]

The U.S. national team, ranked No. 1 globally, will try to defend its title in soccer's premier tournament, which kicks off Friday in Paris. While the Americans make their way around France for the monthlong event, back at home they're all part of a lawsuit that accuses U.S. Soccer of gender discrimination.

Meanwhile, Ada Hegerberg , the first female Ballon d'Or winner for the world's top player, won't be accompanying Norway's national team. She stepped away in 2017 because of what she perceives to be a general disregard for women's soccer by the country's federation. The crux of her frustration is the uneven pace of progress and strategy in the women's game.

Hegerberg, 23, is at the top of her game. She had a hat trick for Lyon in its 4-1 win over Barcelona in the recent Women's Champions League final. In domestic games, she has 211 goals in 208 games.

"We are happy for this debate to raise attention and respect for women's soccer in the world, and I do view it as a big change-maker." said Lise Klaveness, sporting director for the Norwegian Football Federation, "But I just wish she was in our team."

[ U-20 WORLD CUP: Ukraine, Ecuador, Senegal advance to QF (video) ]

The U.S. team hopes to collectively be a difference-maker, too.

Twenty-eight members of the current player pool filed the lawsuit on March 8 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, alleging "institutionalized gender discrimination" that includes inequitable compensation when compared with their counterparts on the men's national team.

Because the lawsuit is still in the early stages, it's likely no significant movement will be made until the team returns home.

Megan Rapinoe was asked whether the pay issue puts more pressure on the team – which will already be facing a strong field looking to topple the three-time World Cup winners.

"I think that the huge media splash of the lawsuit is behind us and we're obviously focused on the World Cup," Rapinoe said. "But also it's like this is our life, and there are a lot of things that we have to grapple and deal with: Family, friends, partners, media, pressures, games, World Cup, travel. So it's just kind of just one more thing. This team always has a lot of media attention, and we've always had a lot of things on our plate so it's not like it's anything new, or all of a sudden we're getting all the more attention. It's sort of the same for us."

The 24-team tournament will be played at nine stadiums across France over the course of the next month, with the final set for July 7 in Lyon.

The last time

The United States won the last World Cup in 2015. Carli Lloyd scored three goals in the first 16 minutes to help give the Americans a 5-2 victory over Japan for their third overall World Cup title, most for any nation since the tournament was introduced in 1991. England was a surprising third-place finisher in Canada.

Video review

In March, FIFA approved the use of video review for the World Cup in France. The Video Assistant Referee system, or VAR, was used at the men's World Cup in Russia last year.

Prize money

The prize money for the World Cup will be $30 million, of which $4 million will go to the federation of the champion. While the total is double the prize money for the 2015 Women's World Cup, it is a fraction of the $400 million in prize money for last year's men's World Cup, of which $38 million went to champion France. FIFA, soccer's international governing body, says prize money for the 2022 men's World Cup will be $440 million.

Ticket fiasco

Some fans who ordered tickets to World Cup matches were surprised last month when they discovered their seats were not together. The issue was especially problematic for families bringing young children. After an outcry on social media, FIFA said it would work with the local organizing committee to resolve the issues.

Some fans recently reported tickets that had been delivered electronically were no longer available, with the message: "FIFA and the LOC are currently working on improving the seating arrangements for certain orders for a limited number of matches. If your order is affected, please expect to receive a dedicated communication shortly."

Too many tournaments

FIFA has also been criticized for scheduling the World Cup final on the same day as the Copa America final in Rio and the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in Chicago. U.S. coach Jill Ellis pointedly said: "In my own personal opinion, playing three big matches in one day isn't supporting the women's game. So, there you go."

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