Alex Morgan confirms that USWNT player strike remains possibility

There has been some turnover on the United States women’s national team corps leading negotiations with U.S. Soccer over a new collective bargaining agreement lately.

With the old CBA expiring on Dec. 31, these talks have devolved into a seemingly bitter standoff between the sides. The women argue that they ought to be paid as much as the men’s team – and in accordance with the revenue they drive for the federation – and have filed a grievance with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which has not yet ruled. U.S. Soccer has pointed to the team’s full-time salary and benefits, which the men do not receive – they have an all-bonus structure – as a reason for the pay gap.

Hope Solo, of course, was kicked off the team late last year for serial transgressions against team rules, sidelining her from the talks in which she was believed to be a hardliner — something that she has claimed, dubiously, was the biggest reason for her expulsion.

Just before the new year, the women’s team fired its general counsel Rich Nichols without explanation. He had been vocal about the team’s willingness to go on strike even before its current CBA ran out – arguing that the memorandum of understanding which had extended the old CBA, which expired in 2011, wasn’t a real CBA at all and therefore didn’t preclude a work stoppage. That move caused the United States Soccer Federation to preemptively sue over a breach of contract ahead of the Rio Olympics, whereupon a judge ruled in its favor.

Meanwhile, co-captain Carli Lloyd, who has also been very public in demanding more for the women, has indicated that she is no longer a part of the negotiating team, either.

But in an interview with the Guardian published on Monday, superstar striker Alex Morgan, who has joined Olympique Lyon on a six-month contract, said that a labor stoppage is still very much on the table, even though some of the apparently most ardent advocates are no longer seated at the negotiating table.

“It’s necessary for change sometimes,” Morgan told the Guardian. “It wouldn’t be the first time women decided to strike. Colombia and a couple of other countries might do the same. And Australia didn’t play us a year ago because of the same battle. … To force a change sometimes you need to stand up. You know what you’re worth – rather than what your employer is paying you. We’re not scared. To move the women’s game ahead we need to do what’s necessary.”

Morgan reiterated that the point of their fight isn’t just pay but equality. And she added that the team would like to get a deal done before the SheBelieves Cup kicks off in March.

“Our CBA ended last month so right now we’re locked with the status quo,” Morgan said. “Neither U.S. Soccer nor us have submitted anything that says they’ll lock us out or that we will strike. We’re hoping to reach agreement – but there eventually needs to be pressure from one side to meet in the middle.”

“We don’t have a World Cup or Olympics to use as leverage while we negotiate a new contract. But we have an important tournament coming up,” Morgan said. “Before we play those matches we want to get a deal done so we can move on.”

Before either side could initiate a work stoppage, they would have to give 60-day notice. Neither side has yet. And there isn’t enough time remaining to do so before the SheBelieves Cup kicks off against Germany on March 1.

Leander Schaerlaeckens is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.