The U.S. Soccer Federation unveiled its new labor contract for the U.S. women’s national team at a press conference at the Official All Star Cafe in New York City on Feb. 1. The contract agreement paves the way for the U.S. women’s return to action Sunday, Feb. 6, at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where the team will battle 1995 Women’s World Cup champion Norway live on ESPN at 2 p.m. ET. “This is a historic agreement that continues to establish U.S. Soccer as a leader in the fight for gender equity in the world of athletics,” said U.S. Soccer President Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia. “Across the last 15 years, U.S. Soccer has set revolutionary standards in providing our women’s teams with full-time pay, residency camps, paid maternity leave and child care. With this agreement we have raised the level again by continuing to assure fair compensation between our women’s and men’s program, especially after everything this team has accomplished. The deal is based on not only equity, but performance and success on the field, so that the team can continue to ‘win forever.'” In addition to continuing to make the U.S. women’s national team the highest paid women’s soccer team in the world, the new contract also guarantees continued payroll parity with the U.S. men’s national team. That includes paying the women $2,000 per appearance (which is identical to the men’s fee) and balancing the U.S. women’s expected bonus compensation with that of the U.S. men for appearances in major tournaments and victories against top opponents. The agreement also includes a protective clause for the U.S. women stating that if the men’s national team ever receives compensation equal to a higher percentage of its gross revenues than the women’s national team receives of its gross revenues, then the U.S. women will receive a lump sum bonus to equalize the compensation ratios. U.S. Soccer, a non-profit organization, has invested more than $6.5 million into the U.S. women’s program over the past five years.